Children of the Rings
by LJS45
Summary: Complete! Advent Children in the Lord of the Rings World. Includes most characters in AC. The Last chapter is 'The Departure of Reeve', in which Reno and Rude suffer unfortunate fates, as well as Reeve; Cloud and Zack depart, and the story ends.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Lord of the Rings/Advent Children: I don't plan on doing any more than the first movie, since they're taking just so _long, _but I'll just see how it goes. I used most of the characters, but a lot don't come out until later. This is one of my first fics, so don't be too hard on me! If you're going to say something bad, try to make it constructive. Enjoy! **

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_**1.) Prologue **_

_"The world is changed. _

_I feel it in the waters._

_I feel it in the earth. _

_I smell it in the air. _

_Much that once was is lost. For none now live who remember it. _

_It began with the forging of the Great Rings. _  
_Three were given to the Elves: immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. _  
_Seven to the Dwarf-lords: great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. _  
_And nine. Nine rings were gifted to the race of men, who above all else desire power. _  
_For within these rings was bound the strength and will to govern each race. But they were all of them deceived. _  
_For another ring was made. _  
_In the land of Midgar, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Hojo forged in secret a Master Ring to control all others. _  
_And into this Ring he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life. _  
_One Ring to rule them all. _  
_One by one, free lands of the planet fell to the power of the Ring. _  
_But there were some who resisted. _  
_A last alliance of Men and Elves marched against the armies of Midgar. And on the slopes of the Crater, they fought for the freedom of the planet._

_Victory was near. But the power of the Ring could not be undone. _  
_It was in this moment, when all hope had faded, that Grimoire, son of the king, took up his father's sword. _  
_Hojo, the enemy of the free peoples of the planet, was defeated. _  
_The Ring passed to Grimoire, who had this one chance to destroy evil forever. _  
_But the hearts of men are easily corrupted. And the Ring of power has a will of its own. _  
_It betrayed Grimoire to his death. _  
_And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend; legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years the Ring passed out of all knowledge. Until, when chance came, it ensnared a new bearer. _

_The Ring came to the creature Cait Sith who took it deep into the tunnels of the slums. And there it consumed him. The Ring brought to Cait Sith unnatural long life. For 500 years it poisoned his mind. And in the gloom of Cait Sith's cave it waited. _  
_Darkness crept back in the forest of the world. Rumor grew of a shadow in the East, whispers of a nameless fear. _  
_And the Ring of Power perceived its time had now come. _  
_It abandoned Cait Sith. But something happened then, the Ring did not intend. It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable. A Hobbit. Rufus of the Shire._

_For the time would soon come when Hobbits would shape the fortunes of all."_

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Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children or the Lord of the Rings.

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	2. A Special Guest

**A/N: To block out Cid's language, (it's rated K+) I did these -- things. I think people with creative minds can enter whatever words they want there. Heck, cherrys and gumbdrops for all I care. Have fun! :) **

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**2.) A Special Guest **

Cid grumbled obscenities as he flew around in his airship, with a toothpick clenched between his teeth. He had to visit his old friend, and what was worse, he would also probably have to see his old friend's _nephew, _Cloud. Grumbling some more, he landed in the very center of a parking lot , ignoring the screams and shouts of people who were close by.

"You're late," Cloud said, suddenly popping up in the parking lot.

"A wizard is never late, Cloud Strife. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to. Got that?"

Cloud tried to stay angry-looking, but he couldn't keep it up for long.

"It's wonderful to see you, Cid!" He exclaimed, trying to hug the airship captain.

"Gah!" Cid exclaimed, trying to push the shorter man off of him. "I only came for your uncle's party, now will you get the -- off of me?"

Cloud quickly obliged, still smiling.

The pair moved out of the parking lot, and on, to the top of a slope, where they were given a magnificent view of a more quiet part of the Shire, which was lush, and green. They also saw people putting up party decorations and singing songs such as "Happy Birthday". When a group of older caught sight of Cid, they scowled and gave him dissaproving glances before looking away and continuing what they were doing.

"What the -- did I do?" Cid muttered under his breath.

"The last time you were here... with Rufus, you two made quite a show with the whole exploding airship thing," Cloud answered.

"If you're blabbin' on about what I think you are, I was barely involved. All I gave that prankster was a little shove out the door," Cid said, shaking his head.

"Whatever you did, you've been officially labeled a disturber of the peace," Cloud said, looking up at him as he raised an eyebrow.

"Guh, -- hobbits." Cid muttered, grinding his toothpick between his front teeth.

Cloud his friend, Zack, and ran off away from Cid to go find something more interesting to do, while Cid continued down the sidewalk towards Rufus's home.

"No, thank you! We don't want any more visitors, well-wishers, or distant relations!" Rufus shouted after Cid pounded on the door.

"What about a cranky captain who's annoyed by all of the shouting outside and wants a place to eat his eggs?" Cid shouted back.

"Highwind?" Rufus asked while he peeked his head through the hole in the door.

"Bingo," Cid answered with a wide grin, pushing open the door before Rufus had the chance to open it.

"Come on, come in! Welcome, welcome. Tea? Or maybe something a little stronger. I've got a few of bottles of the old Winyard left. 1296. Very good year. Almost as old as I am. Ha ha ha ha ha. It was laid down by my father. What's say we open one, eh?" Rufus asked cheerfully, wheeling around his kitchen in his wheelchair.

"I'm going to need some major vodka, sonny-- and some eggs." Cid answered, sitting down at a table and putting his feet up on the table.

"Rufus! Rufus!" A female hobbit yelled from outside.

"I'm not at home! I've got to get away from these confounded relatives, hanging on the bell all day, never giving me a moment's peace. I want to see mountains again, mountains, Highwind. And then find somewhere quiet where I can finish my book... Oh - tea!"

"I said vodka, not -- tea," Cid hollered from the table.

"So you mean to go through with your plan, then?" Cid asked once Rufus came back with a glass of some alcoholic drink.

"Yes, yes, it's all in hand. All the arrangements are made."

"Cloud suspects something." Cid said, taking a gulp of his drink.

"'Course he does. He's a Strife! Not some blockheaded Bracegirdle from Hardbottle."

Cid decided not to argue with the blockheaded part, though a part of him wanted to.

"You will tell him, won't you," Cid said instead.

"Yes, yes," Rufus answered, rather off-handedly.

"He's very fond of you, the squirt."

"I know. He'd probably come with me if I asked him. I think in his heart, Cloud's still in love with the Shire. The woods, the fields. Little rivers. I'm old, Highwind. I know I don't look it, but I'm beginning to feel it in my heart. I feel thin. Sort of stretched, like butter, scraped over too much bread. I need a holiday. A very long holiday. And I don't expect I shall return. In fact, I mean not to."

There was a long silence between the two as they sat at the table, drinking. It was Cid who broke the silence at last.

"You feel like _butter?" _

Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR or FF7: Advent Children.

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	3. A Long Expected Party

**A/N: Uh, review please! Contructive critisism only. Enjoy! **

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_**3.) A Long Expected Party **_

Cloud was sitting with his friend Zack, urging him to ask the girl Elena for a dance.

"Go on, Zack, ask Elena for a dance!" Cloud kept persistent.

"I think I'll just have another ale," Zack said, shaking his head.

"Oh, no you don't! Go on!" Cloud said, practically pushing Zack out of his seat now.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rufus was entertaining.

"So there I was, at the mercy of three monstrous trolls. And they were all arguing amongst themselves about how they were going to cook us. Whether it be turned on a spit, or whether they should sit on us one by one, squash us, to jelly," Rufus said, exaggerating the story with hand gestures.

There was a gasp in the crowd from a little girl known as Marlene.

"And they spent so much time arguing, the whitertos and the whyfors that the sun's first light crept over the top of the trees -poof--" Rufus went on with a grin. "And turned them all to stone!"

* * *

"No, no, the big one, big one," Rude scowled at Reno.

"Done," Reno said with a grin as he pushed the top end towards Rude.

"You're supposed to stick it in the ground!" Rude exclaimed, pushing it back at Reno.

"It _is_ in the ground!" Reno said, pushing it back to Rude, who pushed it back in turn.

Soon after, followed a pushing the firework fight.

"Outside!" Rude hollered, shoving it at Reno.

"This was your idea!" Reno hollered back.

The cracker went off, and Reno and Rude were both thrown simultaneously into a heap on the ground. They looked up to see the cracker letting off fireworks, and stood up and began to cheer. Or, at least until it turned into a replica of Sin Bahamut. Then, they started screaming and running away, not noticing the hobbits doing likewise while knocking down tables and such on their way.

* * *

"SIN BAHAMUT!" Cloud shouted at the top of his lungs, running for his life.

"Sin Bahamut? Nonsense, there hasn't been one of those in these parts for a thousand years!" Rufus said, shaking his head.

The Sin Bahamut replica passed overhead, and slowly, the hobbits and everyone who had been crouching down in fear, began to lift their heads. They watched as if went off into the distance, and then burst into fireworks. There was a momentary pause before everyone began to cheer loudly, praising the show.

"That was good," Rude said, nodding his head in approval.

"Let's get another one," Reno answered, nodding vigorously.

Their excitement, however, was short met when Cid came up from behind them.

"Reno and Rude. I might've known," Cid said, grabbing the two by the ears.

Not long after, Reno and Rude were seen washing dishes from the party unhappily, while Cid sat back in a chair with his feet propped up on a nearby table, watching then with a toothpick between his teeth.

* * *

Outside, the hobbits were cheering for Rufus to give his speech.

"Speech!" Cloud shouted, thrusting a fist into the air with pride.

Rufus obliged to the crowd's request and wheeled himself up to the space in front of everyone.

"My dear friends," Rufus began with a warm smile, "today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday!"

There was silence, and crickets could be heard in the background before Rufus gave a low chuckle and shook his head.

"No, I'm only joking. It's only my fiftieth birthday," Rufus corrected himself. "Alas. Fifty years is far too short a time to live amongst such excellent and admirable Hobbits. I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

The Hobbits looked at one another, as though trying to work out if this were a compliment. Cid, however, snorted in amusement, eyeing Rufus with a knowing glint in his eyes.

'I er ... I have things to do," Rufus went on, his voice becoming less steady.

Rufus put his hand into his pocket, and took out a gold ring.

"I've put this off for far too long. I regret to announce this is the end. I'm going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell," Rufus said in a much quieter voice so only a select few in the front could hear him.

With that, he shut his eyes and appeared to brace himself for the worst.

"Goodbye," Rufus whispered.

The birthday man vanished, and the crowd gasped. Cloud's eyes got wide, and he looked sorely troubled by the dramatic event. Cid's eyes scanned the ground where Rufus had been, and smirked when he saw some movement in the bushes not far off. He stood up inconspicuously, and followed Rufus.

* * *

Rufus, meanwhile, made his way back to his home before taking off his ring. He looked at it and laughed, flipping it into the air, catching it, and then setting it back into his coat pocket. Still humming good-naturedly, he entered his living room to find that his fireplace was already lit.

"I suppose you think that was pretty -- clever," Cid said.

Rufus whipped around to see Cid, sitting at his table with the familiar toothpick between his teeth and his feet propped up on the table.

"Come on Cid. Did you see their faces?" Rufus laughed, shrugging.

"No, and didn't much care to. You should be more careful," Cid cautioned.

"It was just a bit of fun... Oh, you're probably right; for once…You will keep an eye on Cloud, won't you?" Rufus asked.

Cid visibly grimaced.

"Please?" Rufus begged.

"Fine," Cid grumbled, looking away.

"I'm leaving everything to him," Rufus declared.

"What about this ring of yours, is that staying too?"

"Yes, yes. It's in an envelope over there, on the mantelpiece," Rufus said, looking irritated. Then his face slowly softened, as well as his voice. "No, wait it's - here in my pocket. Why - isn't that - isn't that odd, now. Yet after all that, why not?" Rufus started ranting, staring at the golden ring with a certain glint in his eyes. "Why shouldn't I keep it?" He hissed the last part, eyes darting up to meet Cid's.

"I think you should leave the ring behind, Rufus. Is that so -- hard?" Cid snarled.

"Well no... And yes. Now it comes to it, I don't feel like parting with it. It's mine! I found it! It came to me!" Rufus raised his voice, sounding crazed.

"There's no need to get angry," Cid said calmly.

"Well if I'm angry, it's your fault! ... It's mine. My own. My precious." Rufus's eyes bulged, adding to the frightening features on his face.

"Precious? What kind of -- calls a ring that?" Cid asked, furrowing his brows.

"Oh, what business is it of yours what I do with my own things?!" Rufus shouted, raising his voice again.

"I think you've had that ring quite long enough," Cid said, glaring in turn.

"You want if for yourself!" Rufus exclaimed, eyes becoming wider with a look of shock and realization.

"RUFUS SHINRA! DO NOT TAKE ME FOR SOME -- -- --! I AM NOT TRYING TO ROB YOU!" Cid shouted, louder than ever before.

Cid quickly collected himself, and sat back down on his chair. "I'm trying to help you."

"Don't be such a -- ninny. Trust me with this. I can wipe my own -- and everything now."

"You're right, Highwind. The ring must go to Cloud." Rufus sighed, and prepared to leave. "It's late, the road is long... Yes, it is time..." Rufus slowly opened the front door.

"I'm no -- idiot, Rufus. You still have that -- ring."

"Oh—yes," Rufus said sheepishly, reaching into his pocket and taking out the ring.

He placed it on the palm of his hand, and turned his hand over, letting the ring drop to the floor with a solid thud. Without a final glance at the ring, he turned and walked out the door.

"I've thought up an ending for my book," Rufus said before shutting the door.

He turned around to face Cid.

"And he gave his nephew the invisibility ring and went to live with the pointy eared folk before dying shortly after, unnoticed by those around him because of a major lack of people who know him there and who actually care about him and aren't just peaceful folk who sit around and sip tea all day." Rufus announced with a sad smile.

The toothpick dropped from Cid's mouth as he stared at Rufus in disgust.

"Oh, don't worry—if that one doesn't work out, I have a back-up plan. 'And he lived happily ever after, to the end of his days'. Huh?"

"I like the second one," Cid grumbled, picking up his toothpick and placing it back into his mouth.

"Chow, Highwind."

"Hasta la vista, baby." Cid finished with a salute.

With that, Rufus turned and left.

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Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR or FF7: Advent Children


	4. The New Ring Bearer

**A/N: This one is rather short, but I had to put it in here. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to suggest! With that said, Enjoy! **

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**4.) The New Ring Bearer **

"Rufus!" Cloud shouted. He opened up the door to Rufus's house, and called for him again. "Rufus!"

Cloud spotted a gold ring on the floor, and bent over, picking it up.

Cloud heard Cid in the living room, mumbling obscenities.

"He's gone, hasn't he?" Cloud asked sadly, staring down at the ring.

Cid didn't reply.

"He talked so long about leaving. I didn't think he'd really do it... Cid?"

Cid reluctantly turned to face Cloud.

Cloud opened his hand to show Cid the ring.

"He went to live with the pointy-eared folk, and left you this trashy dump," Cid explained.

Cid held out an envelope to Cloud, who put the ring in it. Cid quickly spat on the envelope and sealed it.

Cloud winced at Cid's great hacking wad of spit on the envelope, but accepted it anyways as Cid handed it to him.

"Yours, along with all the other -- in this dump."

Cloud nodded, and Cid turned to leave.

"Oh," Cid said, turning back towards him, "I almost forgot—don't show too many people the ring inside of there."

Then Cid turned back towards the door and made his way over to it.

"Where are you going?" Cloud asked.

"There's some -- I gotta do," Cid answered.

"What… things?" Cloud asked, deciding not to repeat Cid's bad language.

"Questions," Cid muttered, grabbing his coat. "Questions that need answering."

"You've only just arrived. I don't understand," Cloud said, furrowing his eyebrows sadly.

Cid turned around with an annoyed look on his face.

"Neither do I," Cid grumbled. "Remember to keep that ring secret and safe, and handle your actions when you're drunk, and look out below you when you're landing airships. Now that I think I've covered the basics, I'm off."

Cid turned again and left out the door, leaving Cloud all alone. Cloud stared down at the envelope in his hands, wondering what was so secret about a ring.

* * *

Cid was in his airship, flying the contraption at the same time as reading up on some ancient scrolls about the ring.

"Gotta catch up on my ancient history," Cid mutters between the toothpick between his teeth.

* * *

The night was dark, and a man and a dog were standing outside their door when a black rider approached. The hood on the rider was very frightening and the dog began barking at the stranger. The stranger turned towards the man and his dog however, and the dog instantly backed up against the door. Then, the stranger in black got off his horse and threw back his cape to reveal a silver haired man in a black leather suit.

"Good evening, sir. I'm Kadaj, and I was looking for the shire. I was told I could find the Baggins there, is that correct?" The stranger asked.

"There's no Bagginses around here. They're all up in Hobbiton. That way…" The man pointed off down the road, and the stranger followed his gesture.

"Very well, then." Kadaj muttered before jumping back onto his horse and riding quickly down the road.

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Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR of FF7: Advent Children


	5. The Shadow of the Past

**A/N: Yay! People are reading this! :) **

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**5.) The Shadow of the Past**

"Good night," Zack said, waving Cloud and Elena farewell.

"Good night," Elena said with a smile.

"Good night, Zack." Cloud said, not wanting to be left out in the farewells.

Cloud walked towards his house, with Zack going in the other direction to his own home. He sighed and walked towards the door, but paused upon seeing papers flying about the house. He didn't even have time to manage a confused face before a hand clamped on his shoulder, turning him around.

"Where's that -- ring, sonny?" Cid asked in his usual gruff voice.

Cid gave him a questioning look, but reached into his pocket where he found the envelope that concealed the ring.

Cid grabbed the envelope from him, and tossed it into the microwave.

"What are you doing?" Cloud asked frantically, appalled as to why someone would throw a ring into a microwave.

Cloud became even more confused when a strange popping sound came from the microwave—it began slow, but the pops became more frequent as time went on.

Cid said nothing—he only waited until the microwave beeped, before taking out a bag of newly popped popcorn.

"There's nothing like some -- good buttery popcorn on a day like this," Cid said with a sigh, opening the bag and letting out the popcorn aroma.

"Uh, the ring?" Cloud asked, pointing back to the microwave.

"Oh. Of course," Cid said, reaching back into the microwave and taking out the envelope. He reached inside, and pulled out the ring.

"Hold out your hand, Cloud. It's quite cool," Cid said, holding out the ring..

Cloud reluctantly took the ring, and held it up to his face.

"What can you see? Can you see anything?" Cid asked, leaning over.

"Nothing, there's nothing," Cloud said, shaking his head.

Cid sighed in relief, and leaned back against the counter, shoving his hand into the popcorn bag and eating happily.

"Wait…" Cloud murmured, looking more closely at the writing. "There are markings… It says…'Yoshi and Tamara, together forever…'"

Cloud slowly turned to Cid, who was raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Uh, no, I don't think that's right. Turn it over. The writing is different upside down."

Cloud did as he was told.

"It's Midgar language. I'm not supposed to talk about that here," Cid said.

"Midgar?" Cloud asked, eyes getting wide.

"It says 'One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them. One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them."

"Creepy," Cloud whispered, trying to make out the words that Cid said.

Cid leaned back against the counter, and continued with his popcorn eating.

"This is the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord, Hojo. It was taken by Grimoire from the hand of Hojo himself."

"Rufus found it… In Cait Sith's cave…" Cloud murmured, looking down at the ring still.

"Yes. The ring found Rufus and kept him the old fart that he is today. But no longer, Cloud. Bad things are happening in Midgar. The ring woke up to its master's call or somethin'."

"Wow. How do you know that?" Cloud asked.

"Read it in some ancient scrolls or something," Cid muttered in reply. "That -- doesn't make very interesting reading."

"I bet not. But I thought he was destroyed. Hojo was destroyed."

The ring started making strange noises, and the two both looked down at it.

"Gross, Cloud." Cid muttered, walking further away.

"It wasn't me!" Cloud protested. "It was the ring!"

"Sure, sure. Blame it on the ring," Cid mused, not turning back.

"Hmph," Cloud pouted, setting the ring down on the counter. It _was _the ring.

"You're wrong, though. The spirit of Hojo endured. His life force is bound to the Ring, and the ring survived. Hojo has returned. His Orcs have multiplied; his fortress of Costa Del Sol is rebuilt in the land of Midgar. Hojo needs only this Ring to cover all the lands in a second darkness. He is seeking it. Seeking it, all his thought is bent on it. The Ring yearns above all else to return to the hand of its master. They are one. The Ring, and the Dark Lord. Cloud- he must never find it."

"Wow, I didn't think you could talk like that," Cloud said, breathing a gasp of awe.

"I read it straight from here," Cid said, holding up a sheet of browned paper.

"All right, whatever. We put it away. We keep it hidden. We never speak of it again. No one knows it's here, do they?"

Cid just kept munching his popcorn.

"Hey? Cid? Awake in there? I asked, DOES ANYONE KNOW IT'S HERE?" Cloud asked, raising his voice.

"Will you shut _up! _There was Cait Sith, but I couldn't find him. The enemy did first, and tortured him for information. He told them _Shire _and _Strife." _

"Shire? Strife? But that would lead them here!" Cloud exclaimed, shock in his face.

"Aren't you the bright one," Cid muttered under his breath, shaking his head in disappointment.

* * *

"Who goes there?" A male hobbit asked, holding up a lantern in the direction of the voices he heard. He gasped and dropped the light source when he saw two men in black hoods standing in front of him, pale faces and silver hair. One was a tough brute of a man, while the other was slight and more feminine. But they both had eerie looks to their faces that caused the hobbit to step back, only to trip over his lantern and fall on his bottom. The heat of the lantern burned his leg, and he screamed.

"Quite the bungler, isn't he Loz?" The feminine one asked in a bored sounding voice, head tilted and his face expressionless.

The one called Loz just grinned, revealing straight white teeth.

_Must have a good dentist, _the hobbit thought.

"What's a bungler?" The hobbit asked in a shaky voice.

The smile on Loz's face disappeared, and he turned to the other male.

"What _is _a bungler, Yazoo?" Loz asked.

Yazoo just rolled his eyes upward and sighed, answering neither of the two.

"Just get rid of him, Loz." Yazoo commanded in his signature bored tone.

Loz's smile reappeared, and the hobbit appeared frightened again before shutting his eyes tightly as Loz approached him. He felt himself being picked up, and then he felt his underwear being pulled out from behind him. When he opened his eyes again, he was hung almost a foot off of the ground by his underwear.

Loz stepped back and laughed, admiring his work.

"That was what you meant, right Yazoo?" Loz asked, turning to his partner.

"Sure, Loz," Yazoo said, doing that eye-roll thing again.

* * *

"Take it, Cid! Take it!" Cloud said desperately, holding out the ring to Cid.

"No, Cloud."

"You must take it!" Cloud insisted urgently.

"No."

"I'm giving it to you!" Cloud persisted.

"You can't give me that -- ring, now shut it!" Cid hollered.

Cloud immediately recoiled, closing his fist around the ring reluctantly.

"I'm just too good for that piece of --. You, however, can take it."

Cloud tilted his head, wondering what Cid was implying from this.

"But it cannot stay in the Shire!" Cloud whined, turning sad.

"For once," Cid sighed, "you're right. You have to leave, too."

"Where? Where do I go?" Cloud asked.

"Go to Rocket Town," Cid suggested.

"What about you?" Cloud asked.

"I'll be waiting for you at the inn of the Charging Chocobo."

"And the ring will be safe there?"

"I don't -- know. I have to go ask someone smarter. As for you, travel in the dark and change your name. If you have any questions about what else to do, just pick what you think is the most mysterious-sounding."

"Piece of cake," Cloud said with a smile.

"Eh…" Cid said, looking his friend's nephew over. "whatever you say."

Cloud's smile brightened at what he took to be Cid's approval.

Suddenly, there was a clicking noise, and Cid's head whipped around to the direction of the sound.

"Get down," Cid ordered sternly.

Cid slowly moved towards the window, and hits something. Then he quickly grabbed it from outside the window, and pulled it towards him. It turned out to be a male hobbit, who he dragged onto the table.

"You -- Zack! Have you been eavesdropping?"

"I haven't been dropping no eaves, sir. Honest. I was just cutting the grass under the window there, if you follow me," Zack said pleadingly.

"A little late for trimming the verge, don't you think?" Cid grunted.

"I heard raised voices…" Zack admitted.

"What did you hear? SPEAK!"

"N-n-n-nothing important. That is I heard a good deal about a ring, Dark Lord, and something about the end of the world, but, please Mr. Highwind, sir, please don't 'urt me. Don't turn me into anything - unnatural..." Zack trailed off, chin quivering.

"No… Perhaps not…" Cid mused, looking the hobbit over. Then his mouth twisted into a wicked grin. "I've thought of a better use for you."

* * *

Disclaimer: I _still _don't own LOTR or FF7: Advent Children.

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	6. Three is Company

**A/N: No more Vincent/Tifa. Sorry if that upsets someone. Now, it's going to be Vincent/Yuffie! :) Ugh, I wanted to change so many more things around, but I figured it was too late for any major changes. Like trying to get more of Jenova into the picture, and less of Hojo. He just doesn't strike me as nearly as frightening. **

* * *

**6.) Three is Company **

"Keep up, slowpoke." Cid shouted back to Zack, who was tagging along at a slow pace. Then, more quietly, "is it safe?" He whispered to Cloud.

Cloud put his hand over his coat pocket in assurance, looking up at Cid.

"Never put it on, or else something bad will happen. That baby wants its mommy. But its mommy happens to be a beast called Jenova, so don't let the two get together."

Cloud nodded as if he understood.

Cid was on his way to meet with the 'person smarter than him' and Cloud and Zack were off to the Charging Chocobo Inn.

Cid took another path after a short while, bidding the two hobbits farewell shortly and in an informal manner.

Then the two hobbits continued on their way to the Charging Chocobo through the countryside.

"This is it," Zack stated suddenly, stopping in his tracks in the middle of a field of crops.

"This is what?" Cloud questioned.

"If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been." Zack said, almost sounding sad.

"Come on, Zack." Cloud said, trying to reassure his friend.

Zack nodded and took a step forward.

"Remember what Rufus used to say?" Cloud asked once they continued walking.

"What? You mean about the jelly thieving trolls?" Zack asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"No, not that. He said 'It's a dangerous business... Cloud, going out your door. You step out onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.'"

"Oh, that," Zack murmured, nodding.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cid was going off seeking the man more intelligent than he. He entered a large black building and strode inside. His steps slowed when he saw the man whom he was looking for.

"Smoke rises from the mountain of Doom, and the hour grows late, and Cid the Purple rides to Gongaga, seeking my counsel. For that is why you have come, is it not? My old friend..." A low voice hummed.

The man with long, silver cascading hair still had his back turned to Cid, but his mysterious powers must have given him the insight to know who was coming to meet him long before they even arrived.

"Sephiroth," Cid acknowledged, strutting up to him. "You knew it was me?"

"The mirrors," Sephiroth said, gesturing to the mirrors in the room.

"Right," Cid said, only now noticing the mirrors.

* * *

After Cid explained the situation to Sephiroth, he had some questions.

"You are sure of this?" Sephiroth asked quizzically.

"Am I ever wrong?" Cid asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sephiroth just stared at him, and the birds that were flying around them in the tree-filled garden seemed to get quiet.

"So the Ring of Power has been found," Sephiroth confirmed, choosing to ignore Cid's previous comment.

"Only after I've told you fifty times," Cid grumbled.

"And yet you did not have the wits to see it. Your love of the Halflings' leaf has clearly slowed your mind," Sephiroth said, a corner of his mouth moving upward in a rare gesture.

"But we still have time. Time enough to counter Hojo if we act quickly," Cid said.

"Time? What time do you think we have?" Sephiroth asked, his voice becoming slow and strange.

They both stop in their tracks and Cid looks up at Sephiroth.

* * *

"Mother has regained much of her former strength. She cannot yet take physical form, but her spirit has lost none of its potency. Concealed within her fortress, the Lord of Midgar sees all. Her gaze pierces cloud, shadow, earth and flesh." Sephiroth's voice echoed from every direction from where he sat in a chair of elaborate design. "You know of what I speak, Highwind. A Great cranium, wreathed in mako."

Cid, who was standing before Sephiroth, didn't have much of a clue as to what the intelligent man was saying, but he took a stab at it. "You mean Jenova's head?"

"He is gathering all evil to him. Very soon he will summon an army great enough to launch an assault upon the Planet."

"How do you know?" Cid challenged.

"I have seen it," Sephiroth answered, bright mako eyes glinting devilishly.

"A palantír is just asking for trouble," Cid said as the pair walked into a hall.

"Why? Why should we fear to use it?" Sephiroth said, before throwing the cover off of the palantír.

"Those stones in the ancient scrolls—"Cid began.

"The Seeing-stones," Sephiroth prodded.

"Yeah—they're not all accounted for. So we don't know who else could be watching." With that, Cid threw the cover back on the palantír.

"The hour is later than you think. Hojo's forces are already moving. The nine have left Nibelheim."

"The _nine?" _Cid asked, furrowing his brows.

"They crossed the river on Midsummer's Eve, disguised as riders in black."

"They've reached the Shire?" Cid's teeth clenched down on the toothpick in his mouth.

"They will find the Ring, and kill the one who carries it."

"Cloud!" Cid bellowed.

"You do not seriously think that a Hobbit could contend with the will of Hojo? There are none who can. Against the power of Midgar, there can be no victory. We must join with him, Highwind. We must join with Hojo. It would be wise, my friend."

"You stupid --. You were supposed to be the smart one."

Furiously, Sephiroth shouts out, pointing his masamune as he did so, pining Cid high up against the wall, causing the captain to shout in pain. Sephiroth walked to him slowly, with his sword still pointed at him, then let him drop to the ground. But as Sephiroth approached him, Cid reached for a conveniently placed stick-like thing and whacked the man across the head, causing him to fall onto his back.

Then the duel began.

* * *

For some time, they make hits at each other, each causing each other to fall to the ground. It seemed for some time that Cid was winning, especially as he sent Sephiroth flying through the shut door, but Sephiroth soon recovered better than ever. At seeing the weariness in Cid's face, he made a sudden movement with his hand, causing the stick-thing in Cid's grip to fly into his own hand. Then, he threw Cid to the ground, approaching him with both weapons and pointing them at the man on the ground.

"I gave you the chance willingly, but you have elected a way of pain!" Sephiroth shouted.

He used his masumane to throw Cid to the top of the tower, a malicious grin spreading across his pale face.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children. Unfortunatly for me.


	7. A Short Cut to Mushrooms

**A/N: Another update! **

* * *

**7.) A Short Cut to Mushrooms**

Zack shifted his feet, looking nervously around for Cloud. The crops on either side of him were considerably taller than himself. He stood on his toes, but it didn't help.

"Mr. Cloud? Cloud! CLOUD!" Zack shouted frantically.

Cloud finally stepped into sight, and Zack gave a sigh of relief.

"I thought I'd lost you," Zack said with a small smile.

"What are you talking about?" Cloud asked, looking concerned.

"It's just something Cid said," Zack said, looking down at his feet.

"What did he say?"

"'Don't you -- lose him, Zack.' And I don't mean to." Zack stated firmly.

"Zack, we're still in the Shire. What could possibly happen?"

Just then, Reno and Rude came out of the bushes, falling onto Cloud and Zack.

"Hey, Cloud! Yo, Rude! It's Cloud Strife!" Reno shouted from his place on top of Cloud.

"Hello, Cloud." Rude said politely.

Zack grunted, heaving Reno off of Cloud.

"Get off him! Come on, Cloud." Zack said, pushing Reno out of the way.

"What's the meaning of this?" Cloud demanded.

Rude looked to his left, and then to his right before thrusting an armful of cabbages into Zack's arms.

"Hold these," Rude said in a low voice.

"You've been into Farmer Maggot's crop!" Zack exclaimed, looking at the bundle in his arms in horror.

There were barking noises, and the group exchanged glances of fear.

"Oi! You get back here! Get out of my fields! You know what's gonna happen when I catch up with you?" A voice bellowed from somewhere in the crops that the four instantly recognized as Farmer Maggot.

Zack's face turned as white as a sheet, and his eyes went wide.

"Ooh," Zack moaned.

Zack looked around, and realized that he was all alone in the crops. He turned and saw that his friends were running for cover, and he dropped the bundle in his arms and joined them as fast as he could.

"I don't know why he's so upset. It's only a couple of carrots." Rude stated as they ran.

"And some cabbages. And then those three bags of potatoes we lifted last week, and, and, the mushrooms, the week before!" Reno reminded him.

"Yes, Reno, my point is, he's clearly overreacting." Rude said in his usual calm voice, even though they were running and he should have been breathing more heavily.

"Run!" Cloud yelled, breaking into their conversation.

They all do as they're told, but then they come to the edge of a steep slope. Reno, Rude, and Cloud try to keep their balance, and eventually are all standing firmly on the very edge, breathing sighs of relief seeing as they weren't falling down the slope.

But the relief didn't last long.

Zack came up from the rear, and bumped into Cloud, apparently not having noticed that he wasn't running anymore. Cloud bumped forward into Rude, who bumped forward into Reno, who fell down the slope, causing them all to go tumbling down with him.

Reno shut his eyes as he fell, not wanting to visualize what was happening. He only opened his eyes once he reached the bottom, and noticed that he landed just inches away from a pile of manure.

"Oh. That was close," Reno said with a sigh of relief.

"I think I've broken something," Rude informed them, reaching behind him. He pulled out a broken carrot, and frowned.

"Trust Reno and Rude," Zack muttered, picking himself up.

"What? It was just a detour. A shortcut," Rude said, also getting up.

"A shortcut to what?" Zack scoffed.

"The mushrooms!" Reno exclaimed, pointing to something on the ground.

* * *

Zack joined Reno and Rude as they stuffed some mushrooms into a bag.

"Take that one," Rude ordered Reno.

"That's mine... Mmmm... That's nice, Rude. Here's a nice one, Zack." Reno mused, plucking mushrooms from the ground.

"I think we should get off the road." Cloud suggested from further off.

The sound of a horse neighing was heard, and the leaves rustled on the ground. Cloud's eyes widened.

"Get off the road! QUICK!" Cloud shouted, hurrying off the road.

The rest of the hobbits followed him, finding a place under the roots of a tree. Reno and Rude fought over the bag of mushrooms.

"Be quiet!" Zack whispered, scolding the two that were arguing.

The rider in black dismounted and came towards their hiding place. The rider was dressed in a black leather uniform, and had silver shoulder-length hair. Cloud shut his eyes and took out the ring. As he did so, the rider turned his face towards him. Cloud held the ring near to his finger, preparing to put it on, but Zack noticed and tapped him on the shoulder in a warning. Cloud quickly opened his eyes, and put the ring away. As he did so, the rider in black turned away.

Rude threw the bag of mushrooms off into the distance, and the rider moved towards it. Then, the hobbits left their hiding place and ran.

"What was that?" Reno asked, looking disappointed about the mushrooms.

Cloud didn't answer, but took out the ring, holding it out in the palm of his hand.

* * *

The hobbits ran through the woods in the dark, still fleeing the rider.

"Anything?" Rude questioned.

"Nothing!" Cloud replied impatiently.

"What's going on?" Reno asked.

"That Black Rider was looking for something. Or someone... Cloud?" Rude asked, turning towards the ring bearer.

Cloud slowly turned to face Rude. He gave Rude a firm look in the eye, but said nothing before Reno made an outburst.

"Get down!" Reno hissed urgently.

The hobbits got down, and noticed that there was a rider nearby.

"I have to leave the Shire. Zack and I must go to Rocket Town," Cloud explained.

"Right... Follow me." Rude ordered, starting off in another direction.

The hobbits followed him, but the rider saw them.

The hobbits ran as fast as they could before coming to a river. Zack, Reno, and Rude were there, but Cloud was still being chased by the rider.

"Get the rope, Zack." Rude ordered, pointing to a rope.

"Cloud!" Zack shouted instead.

"Run, Cloud! Go! Hurry! Come on! Faster! Jump!" Reno cheered Cloud on.

Rude had ended up untying the boat, and it drifted off with the trio aboard it. Cloud picked up speed and managed to jump onto the boat.

The rider stopped at the river bank and gave Cloud one last hard look, before turning around.

"How far to the nearest crossing?" Cloud asked, catching his breath.

"Twenty miles," Rude informed them.

"Oh no," Reno groaned, facing the edge of the boat.

"What?" Zack asked, looking a little concerned.

"I'm gonna be sea sick," Reno grunted, turning an interesting hue of green.

"Oh no," Zack agreed.

It was a long trip.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR or FF7: Advent Children.


	8. At the Sign of the Charging Chocobo

**A/N: Whew So far, I don't think I've missed a day yet! So the hobbits finally made it to Rocket Town. So if anyone wants to make suggestions for Gimli, Legolas, or Boromir then you can say something. (A character from FF7 please.) I already picked out characters, but I don't know if they're the best ones for the job. ****Anyways, in this chapter, I'm introducing... (Well, you'll just have to read it!) **

* * *

**8.) At the Sign of the Charging Chocobo**

The hobbits approached the gate to Rocket Town after a very long boat ride consisting of Reno getting sick very sick into the river.

"Come on," Cloud said, urging everyone else to the gate along with him.

They knock on the gate, and the gatekeeper opens a shutter. But the shutter was too high up for the gatekeeper to see the hobbits, so he opened a lower one.

"What do you want?" The gatekeeper grumbled.

"We're heading for the Charging Chocobo," Cloud told him.

"Hobbits! Four hobbits! What business brings you to Bree?"

"We wish to stay at the inn. Our business is our own," Cloud said, taking Cid's advice on trying to be mysterious.

"Alright, young sir, I mean no offence. It's my job to ask questions after nightfall. There's talk of strange folk abroad. Can't be too careful."

The gatekeeper let them in the gate, swinging the large doors open to reveal the town.

* * *

Rocket Town was certainly a rough area. The dank town was filled with men, or 'big folk,' as the hobbits called them.

Zack walked into one of the men, who turned around and looked down at Zack with a look of fury in his face.

"Out of the way! Watch where you're walking."

Eventually, the hobbits found their way to the Charging Chocobo Inn, and entered it.

Cloud walked up to the counter.

"Excuse me," Cloud said politely to the innkeeper.

"Good evening, little masters. If you're seeking accommodation, we've got some nice cozy, Hobbit-sized rooms available... Mr... er..."

"Blubberface... My name's Blubberface," Cloud said, saying the first thing he could think of as he stared up at the face of the man behind the desk.

"Blubberface, yes..." The innkeeper looked leery of Cloud's choice of name, but said nothing about it.

"We're friends of Cid Highwind. Can you tell him we've arrived?" Cloud asked.

"Highwind? Highwind... Oh... yes! I remember. The captain. The one with the toothpick in his teeth and the nasty mouth."

Cloud smiled and nodded.

"Not seen him for 6 months."

Cloud turned around to face his fellow hobbits.

"What do we do now?" Zack asked.

* * *

"Sam-he'll be here. He'll come," Cloud assured Zack, setting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

They were sitting at a table at the inn, trying to make sense of their situation.

Rude was making his way to the table with a large mug of beer, but bumped into a man on his way.

"Get out of my way!" The man hollered.

"What's that?" Reno asked once Rude made his way to the table.

"This, my deprived friend, is a pint." Rude stated firmly.

"It comes in pints? I'm getting one!" Reno exclaimed, walking off to get himself a pint.

Zack looked from Reno's beer on the table, to Reno himself.

"You've got a whole half already!" Zack pointed out.

Apparently, Reno didn't care, because he just kept walking.

"That fellow's done nothing but stare at you since we arrived," Zack said in a low voice directed at Cloud.

Frodo followed Zack's gaze to the man whom Zack had indicated. The man wore a dark red cape, with back apparel underneath. His features were darkened by the lack of candlelight where he was sitting, but his golden eyes were no-doubt focused on Cloud.

An innkeeper walked by, and Cloud stopped him.

"Excuse me. That man in the corner. Who is he?" Cloud asked the man.

"He's one of them Rangers," the man answered, looking over at the man. "Dangerous folk, they are, wandering in the Wilds. What his right name is, I've never heard, but around here, he's known as Dracula."

The innkeeper walked off, having said his due.

"Dracula..." Cloud pondered as he fingered his ring.

* * *

"Strife?" Reno's voice could be heard above the noise of the inn. "Sure I know a Strife. He's over there."

Cloud whipped his head around to see Reno conversing with some men. He looked in time to see Reno pointing at him.

"Cloud Strife," Reno went on in a cheery voice. "He's my second cousin once removed on his mother's side and my third cousin, twice removed..."

The voices of the other people in the room drowned out Reno's voice, and Cloud stood up, anxiously making his way towards Reno to stop him.

"Reno!" Cloud yelled, grabbing the red-head and causing him to spill some of his drink.

"Woa, Cloud! Steady there!" Reno cautioned him.

But Cloud wasn't steady. He tripped on the foot of one of the men, and fell over backwards. As he hit the ground, the ring in his hand flew upwards, and then fell back down onto his finger.

Then he disappeared.

_You cannot hide. I see you. There is no life in the void. Only death._

* * *

"The Charging Chocobo?" Kadaj confirmed his thoughts in a light tone and a short laugh, cut off by his biting down on his lower lip.

Yazoo and Loz turned towards him, intent on hearing more.

"Well, I guess its Rocket Town then." Kadaj sighed, and secured the double-bladed sword on his back before mounting his horse and throwing his cape over himself.

"Rocket Town?" Loz whispered to Yazoo as they went to get on their own horses. "I _love _Rocket Town!"

Loz grinned happily and mounted his horse.

"Don't you love Rocket Town, Yazoo?" Loz asked.

"Yeah," Yazoo answered in a bored tone.

"You don't sound like you mean it, Yazoo." Loz said, pouting.

"I mean it, Loz." Yazoo said, sounding like the opposite of what he claimed.

Loz just pouted more, and a whining sound emitted from his throat.

"Don't cry, Loz." Yazoo said in an uncaring tone before kicking his horse to catch up with Kadaj.

Yazoo didn't, however, get far enough not to hear Loz deny his comment.

"I'm _not _crying!"

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children


	9. Dracula

**A/N: I was debating putting a chapter up today, because I was tired and cranky and wanted to go to bed. But I couldn't just ruin my reputation with that kind of excuse, now could I? But even so, this one's short. **

* * *

**9.) Dracula**

Cloud saw a woman with tentacle-like things emitting from her body and a metal hat on her head, and pulled the ring off of his finger quickly. Just as he did, he felt a hand on his shoulder. The man, 'Dracula' pulled him up the stairs into his room.

"You draw far too much attention to yourself, Mr. Blubberface." The man's voice was cool and calm, his face nearly expressionless. Cloud found himself staring up at the man with a curious expression on his face for a long while. In the shire, no one had golden eyes or had golden metal claws on their hands and pointy golden shoes.

"What do you want?" Cloud finally managed to ask in a quiet, unsteady voice.

"A little more caution from you; that is no trinket you carry," The tall man requested in a low, intimidating voice.

"I carry nothing." Cloud lied.

"Indeed. I can avoid being seen if I wish. But to disappear entirely. That is a rare gift." The man moved about the room, pinching out the candles.

"Who are you?" Cloud asked inquisitively.

The man known as 'Dracula' eyed him sternly before responding.

"Are you frightened?" The man inquired instead, choosing not to answer Cloud's question.

"Yes," Cloud admitted.

"Not nearly frightened enough. I know what haunts you." The man claimed with a knowing look upon his face.

There was a short silence, broken when the door opened revealing Cloud's three friends. 'Dracula' drew his gun quickly, aiming it at the new arrivals.

Cloud looked over to see Zack with his fists held forward, prepared to fight.

"Let him go, or I'll have you, blood-sucker!" Zack threatened, glaring up at the man.

"You have a stout heart, little Hobbit," the golden-eyed man said while putting his gun away. "But that will not save you. You can no longer wait for the captain, Cloud. They're coming."

The last words of the gunman echoed in Cloud's mind over and over again, filling him with fear.

"_They're coming." _

_

* * *

_

Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children.


	10. A Knife in the Dark

**A/N: I made a mistake. I need to change every reference to Zax to Grimoire, which I don't feel like doing right now... Well, there's no Zax in this chapter, but if there was, it would be Grimoire. I made a longer chapter to make up for the short chapter nine. **

* * *

**10.) A Knife in the Dark**

The gatekeeper of Rocket Town, by the name of Wedge, sighed as he heard riders coming towards the gate. _Great, more visitors, _he thought grimly.

The riders approached the gate at a frightening speed, and Wedge knew just a second before it happened that they did not _plan _to stop. Screaming, he jumped out of the way as the gate was knocked down by the horses.

"Oops!" The biggest of the three riders said by way of apology as they passed.

The gatekeeper got to his feet and shouted after the three, but they did not acknowledge him in the least.

* * *

Meanwhile, four little hobbits were fast asleep.

* * *

"Good evening, sir. My brothers and I are looking for some hobbits that went through here. Do you know where we could find them?" Kadaj asked politely to the man behind the desk.

"Er, yeah, there's some hobbits here," the man answered, scratching his head. "But I don't think I can remember what room they went to."

Kadaj refrained from rolling his eyes, and instead, reached into his pocket for some money. He pulled out a handful of gil, and placed it on the table with a loud clanging sound.

"Perhaps this might improve your memory?" Kadaj sighed, looking up at the man.

"Oh! I just remembered. They're in room 3A!" The innkeeper exclaimed brightly.

Kadaj nodded shortly and walked up to the room, with his brothers in tow.

"Humans," he scoffed as he approached the door 3A.

Not bothering to check if it was locked or not, he moved slightly out of the way for Loz to step up to the door. In one quick movement, Loz broke down the door. The three stepped into the room and all three went to the beds.

Loz straightened his pilebunker and grinned, walking over to the first bed.

Yazoo whipped out his Velvet Nightmare with a twirl, and went to the second bed.

Kadaj unsheathed his souba and walked over to the third bed.

All three attacked at once, but instead of the satisfying squelch of flesh, there was more of the squish of rotting fruit; which was exactly what it turned out to be.

"Gross," Loz said, frowning at the molding watermelon now tarnishing his pilebunker.

Yazoo just looked at his gun in confusion, wondering if there was something wrong with it that no one was dying.

Kadaj's scream shook the whole inn as he flung his sword across the room, missing Loz by just inches.

"They're not _here_," Loz confirmed everyone's thoughts in one simple sentence.

"Thanks, Loz," Yazoo said in his usual soft-spoken, uncaring tone.

* * *

Vincent Valentine watched from inside his own room as the three riders walked into the hobbits' room. A slow smile came to his face as they realized that the hobbits were not in their rooms. No, of course they weren't--they were in his room. Vincent winced slightly as Kadaj screamed, appalled that someone's scream could be that utterly loud and terrifying. Not to mention annoying.

"What are they?" Cloud asked.

Vincent turned towards the hobbit, deciding that the screaming must have woken him up.

"They are remnants of Sephiroth. Very powerful men. They were created to find their mother and bring her back so she can use the planet as her vessel to be rid of the cosmos. Or something like that, anyways. They are neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of their mother. Drawn to her power. They will never stop hunting you," Vincent explained softly.

"I don't get it. What does the ring have to do with their mother?"

"The ring holds her power. The power of Jenova. With that power, they can bring back the Dark Lord Hojo."

"I'm still not seeing how Hojo coming back brings back Jenova."

"Hojo? Hojo's some just lame old scientist. He's going to recreate Jenova. She's the one that's the problem, and we don't want him to create her."

"Oh," Cloud said, nodding to show that he understood.

The next day, Vincent was leading a pony into the countryside, with the hobbits following him closely.

"Where are you taking us?" Cloud asked.

"Into the Wild," Vincent stated.

"How do we know that Dracula is a friend of Cid?" Reno whispered to Cloud as they hurried along.

"We have no choice but to trust him," Cloud answered.

"But where is he leading us?" Zack asked.

"To Wutai, Zack; to the house of Kisaragi."

"Did you hear that? Wutai! We're going to see the Elves!"

* * *

Vincent kept walking through the morning, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. At one point, he realized, however, that the hobbits were whispering behind him, and they weren't moving.

"Gentlemen," Vincent said as he turned around, "We do not stop 'till nightfall."

"What about breakfast?" Reno asked, hands on hips.

"You've already had it," Vincent reminded him.

"We've had one, yes. What about second breakfast?" Reno asked.

Vincent, unable to take the lunacy, simply turned around at the ridiculous question and kept walking.

"Don't think he knows about second breakfast, Reno," Rude told his friend.

"What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?" Reno asked, desperate.

"I wouldn't count on it," Rude said, shaking his head.

Vincent threw an apple back, and Rude caught it deftly. Being generous, he handed it over to Reno along with a pat on the back. Then Vincent threw another apple back, which hit Reno square in the head. Reno looked up and around him, bewildered, and trying to find out where the second apple came from.

"Reno..." Rude sighed, shaking his head.

* * *

"The power of Junon is at your command, Hojo, Lord of the Earth." Sephiroth said, eyeing the palantír at his hands.

"Build me an army worthy of Midgar," Hojo's dark voice commanded.

* * *

"What orders from Midgar, my lord?" A rather disgusting looking Orc asked Lord Sephiroth.

"What does Jenova command?" Another equally disgusting Orc asked.

"We have work to do," Sephiroth answered them both in a commanding tone.

The orcs outside Junon uprooted all of the trees by Sephiroth's command.

"The trees are strong, my lord. Their roots go deep," An Orc complained, bowing to show his humbleness before lord Sephiroth.

"Rip them all down," Sephiroth said as a slow smile came to his face.

* * *

Cid, meanwhile, was on top of the tower of Junon, with no shelter to protect him as it rained. He amused himself by grinding the toothpick between his teeth and muttering curses at the raindrops.

* * *

"That was the great watchtower of Mime. We shall rest here tonight," Vincent informed the hobbits.

The hobbits obeyed and settled down in a corner. Vincent took out four short swords, and passed one to each hobbit.

"These are for you. Keep them close. I'm going to have a look around. Stay here." Vincent said before turning to go do what he said.

Cloud yawned and turned over onto his stomach, quickly falling asleep underneath the dark moonlit sky.

However, he woke up later as it was still dark, and saw Rude, Reno, and Zack cooking something around a fire.

"My tomato's burst," Rude stated in his usual calm tone.

"Could I have some bacon?" Reno piped up.

"Ok. Want a tomato, Zack?" Rude asked.

Cloud shook of his cloak and hurried over to his friends.

"What are you doing?" He hissed in an urgent voice.

"Tomatoes, sausages, nice crispy bacon," Rude said in an admiring tone.

"We saved some for you, Cloud." Zack said with a warm smile.

Cloud scowled, and stamped out the fire with his bare feet, barely wincing at the scorching heat of the flames.

"Put it out, you fools! Put it out!" Cloud demanded harshly.

"Oh, that's nice!" Reno scoffed. "Ash on my tomatoes..."

All four of them got very silent as a familiar cry was heard.

_The one from the inn..._Cloud remembered.

Cloud quickly gestured for the others to go up to the top of the watchtower.

"Go!" Cloud shouted.

The remnants must have been really fast though, since they were already there when the hobbits arrived. Standing tall in their black leather matching suits, they looked terrifyingly intimidating.

"Back you devils!" Zack shouted as he unsheathed his sword, swinging ruthlessly at the three remnants.

When his futile attacks had no affect whatsoever on the remnants, however, Zack whimpered and stepped back.

They were doomed.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children.


	11. Flight to the Ford

**A/N: Another chapter up and I still haven't changed Zax. --Sigh.-- Whatever. Read on! **

* * *

**11.) Flight to the Ford**

The remnants drew their weapons at once. The one in the front, who had the double-bladed sword, swiped Zack, Rude, and Reno out of the way in one quick movement.

Cloud, mouth agape, tried to take a step backwards and fell over his feet. He quickly tried to scurry out of the way, but it was useless as the youngest remnant approached him with his sword drawn and ready. Desperate, Cloud shoved the ring onto his finger.

Cloud's vision warped, and everything changed shapes. He saw the faces of the riders in bright light, and widened his eyes. The one in the front stepped forward, speaking to Cloud in the Black Language. Horrified, Cloud pulled his hand carrying the ring away from the remnant, who then stabbed Cloud in the shoulder.

"Ahhh!" Cloud screamed from the pain.

"Ahhh!" Another voice shouted, joining Cloud. This scream, however, sounded more like a battle cry than a wail of pain.

Vincent jumped in front of Cloud, gun held out and ready.

The remnants, seeing as though their task was finished, fled from the watchtower.

Cloud tore the ring off of his finger with the little strength that he now possessed, eyes almost tearing from the pain.

"Cloud!" Zack cried, running over to his friend.

"Oh, Zack," Cloud moaned, grimacing from the pain in his shoulder.

"Dracula! Help him Dracula!" Zack pleaded with the gunman.

"He has been stabbed by a motherblade. This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs elvish medicine," 'Dracula' said as he picked up Cloud and slung the hobbit over his shoulder. "Hurry!"

With that, they hurried off into the night towards Wutai.

"We're six _days _from Wutai! He'll never make it!" Zack protested.

"Hold on, Cloud." Vincent whispered, mostly to himself.

"Cid!" Cloud cried out, agonized.

* * *

A mosquito named Chuck was flying towards the tower of Junon, relishing in the bliss from it's last bite, and how it survived the nitwit human boy who had tried to slap it off of his arm.

_Ha ha, sucker! _The mosquito thought, not considering the irony of his statement which suggested that the human was the sucker, and not it, even as it was the one whose life depended on the parasitic deed.

_Drat! _The mosquito thought when a hand closed in around it. He _so _did not see that coming.

While the poor little mosquito was pondering over the whole of his short pathetic life, he heard a voice speaking to it in a language he actually understood. Though he could tell, that it obviously wasn't another mosquito, as mosquitoes do not have hands this big.

"Get my -- Highwind, or I'll squish you!" The voice whispered in Elvish.

The mosquito nodded his infinitesimal head and let out a sigh of relief--or, at least what would have been a sigh of relief if mosquitoes were able to sigh in relief, as the hand enclosing him in darkness opened.

Chuck flew off to perform the task appointed to him by the strange looking man with the toothpick in his mouth, hoping desperately that he would not be killed in the process.

* * *

"Cloud?" Zack murmured, shaking his companion. "He's getting cold!"

"Is he going to die?" Reno asked sadly.

"He's passing into the Shadow World. He'll soon become a Wraith like them," Vincent explained.

A shout was heard, with a voice only too familiar.

"They're close!" Reno called out in a warning.

"Zack, do you know the Athelas plant?" Vincent asked.

"Athelas?" Zack asked in confusion, tilting his head.

"Or a yellow tulip?" Vincent prodded.

"A yellow tulip, aye," Zack said, nodding.

"It may help to slow the poisoning. Hurry!" Vincent commanded, giving Zack a torch.

Vincent unsheathed a knife when he spotted some yellow tulips, and started to hack away at the stems. That was, however, before he felt the cold blade of a shuriken at his throat.

"What's this? OH MY GOSH! VINCENT!" A girly voice squealed.

Vincent looked up and saw Yuffie, hovering over him with a goofy smile on her face.

"Cloud? I'm Yuffie! Nice to meet you, hey!"

"Not the time, Yuffie. He needs help," Vincent informed her.

"Oh. Cloud; I've come to help you. Hear my voice. Come back to the light." Yuffie said in a calm, melodic voice.

"Who is she?" Reno asked.

"Cloud," Yuffie began.

"She's an elf!" Zack exclaimed.

"He's fading," Yuffie went on, observing the ghostly pale hobbit. "He's not going to last. We must get him to my father. I've been looking you for 2 days."

"Where are you taking him?" Zack demanded some explanation for all of this.

"There are 3 Wraiths behind you. Where the other 6 are, or if they even exist since they never show their faces, I have no idea," Yuffie said.

"Stay with the hobbits. I will send horses for you," Vincent offered in Elvish.

"I'm a faster rider than you!" Yuffie argued in the same tongue. "I'll take him."

"The road is too dangerous," Vincent cautioned, in Elvish again.

Meanwhile, the other hobbits listened with very confused expressions on their faces, seeing as none of them knew Elvish.

"What are they saying?" Reno asked.

"Cloud is dying," Yuffie continued in the foreign language, "If I can get across the river, the power of my people will protect him!"

Vincent sighed.

"I do not fear them," Yuffie said, switching to the language that they all understood.

"Finally, something I can understand," Reno muttered to the other two hobbits around him.

"According to your wish," Vincent said smoothly in Elvish. Then, in English, "Yuffie, ride hard! Don't look back!"

"Yaw!" Yuffie shouted, kicking her horse into gear as she rode off with Cloud.

"What are you doing? Those Wraiths are still out there!" Zack yelled, still not understanding anything that was going on.

* * *

Yuffie was being chased by the three riders, close at her tail. Or, rather her horse's tail. But whatever. She soon reached the river, and the riders pursuing her stopped on the other side.

"Give up the Halfling, she-elf!" The big one shouted at her.

"If you want him, come and get him!" Yuffie teased.

The rider in the front, the one known as Kadaj, sighed audibly as he got off his horse gracefully and walked towards the water. The moment he stepped in, branches of blackness started to seep into the water from around him, infecting it.

Yuffie screamed as the blackened water started to get to her--she had not been planning for _that. _She whipped her head towards the Wraith in the water, and glared at him.

Yuffie quickly took out a water materia, and the water rose from the river. The Wraith quickly got out, and onto the other side, glowering at Yuffie as she stuck her tongue out at him, taking pleasure in her victory.

Unfortunately, she was too busy wiggling her tongue that she didn't notice that Cloud was turning whiter by the second.

"No! No! Cloud, no! Cloud, don't give in! Not now!" Yuffie pleaded. Then she shut her eyes and whispered, _"What healing materia has given me, let it pass to him. Let him be spared. _

_"Save him."_

Cloud couldn't move any parts of his body. He felt conscious, but had no way to prove it. He felt like he was sleeping, yet watching himself in a dream.

"Lasto beth nîn," A voice said from nearby. "Tolo dan na ngalad."

_Hear my voice. Come back to the light. _

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children.


	12. Many Meetings

**A/N: The two sides fought, the good guys won, "Oh, look!" I said, "Another chapter's done!" Heh heh, nothing like starting off a chapter with bad poetry. Many thanks to _dragonriderVII _for pointing out that I was using the wrong names every once in a while in my previous chapters. I'll be quick to fix that! Sometimes I just get too caught up in the story...

* * *

**

**12.) Many Meetings**

"Where am I?" Cloud groaned, struggling to sit up.

"You are in the house of Kisaragi, and it is -- 10 o'clock in the morning on whatever -- day it happens to be." A voice informed him.

"Cid!" Shouted Cloud, as the corners of his mouth lifted suddenly into a grin.

"Bingo. You're lucky, you know. A few more hours, and you would have been bird --."

"What happened, Cid?" Cloud asked, frowning now. "Why didn't you meet us?"

"I was -- delayed by that -- -- Sephiroth!" Cid cursed, face contorting in anger.

* * *

_"A friendship with Sephiroth is not lightly thrown aside. One ill turn deserves another. It is over. Embrace the power of the Ring, or embrace your own destruction!" Sephiroth raised his voice as he threatened Cid. _

_"As great as that sounds, I've got a flight to catch," Cid said with mock sadness. _

_Cid watched as Sephiroth's angry face twisted into something like confusion for a moment before turning and jumping off of the tower. _

_His ship, the Highwind, rose from the air and somehow caught him as he fell. He made his way into his ship and flew off, relishing in the shocked face of Sephiroth as he waved goodbye. _

_"So, you have chosen death." Sephiroth whispered as Cid flew off in his airship. _

* * *

"Cid? What is it?" Cloud asked, trying to get Cid out of his haze.

"Nothing," Cid grunted, tossing the broken toothpick from his mouth and snatching out another one from inside of his pocket offhandedly. He had been clenching his teeth too hard, apparently.

"Cloud! Cloud!" Zack shouted, rushing into the room at that moment.

"Zack!" Cloud exclaimed, greeting his friend with a warm smile.

"You're awake!" Zack observed.

"Surrounded by geniuses," Cid murmured under his breath. Then, louder, "The idiot's been standing in here all -- day."

"We were worried about you! Weren't we, Cid?" Zack asked, happiness read in each one of his features.

"Yeah, yeah..." Cid muttered.

A new person entered the room, and stopped in front of Cloud.

"Welcome to Wutai, Cloud!"

Cloud walked around Wutai with Zack, and met Reno and Rude. Reno was chatting with a small female group of Wutai elves, with Rude standing by and looking completely calm and serious as another bunch of girls crowded around him and began petting his arms and making remarks about his sunglasses.

Shaking his head, Cloud turned once more to see Rufus, sitting on a bench and reading.

"Rufus!" Cloud exclaimed, running over to his uncle.

"Hello, Cloud, my lad!" Rufus laughed.

"Rufus! 'There and back again, A Hobbit's tale, by Rufus Shinra.' This is wonderful," Cloud said, stroking the cover of the book that Rufus wrote.

"I meant to go back. Wander at the power of Materia. Visit Nibelheim. See the Chocobo farm again. But age, it seems to have finally caught up with me."

Cloud flipped through Rufus's book, and came to a map of the Shire.

"I miss the Shire. I spent all my childhood pretending I was off somewhere else. Off with you on one of your adventures. But my own adventure turned out to be quite different. I'm not like you, Rufus." Cloud sighed, shutting the book.

"My dear boy," Rufus said, reaching out and embracing Cloud, and telling him that everything would be all right.

* * *

"Now, what did I forget?" Zack asked, looking at his things.

"Packed already?" Cloud asked, noticing Zack's pack.

"No harm in being prepared," Zack answered, looking back at him with a smile.

"Thought you wanted to see the Elves, Zack," Cloud said, tilting his head.

"I do," Zack answered, turning his head back to his luggage.

"...more than anything," Cloud continued, walking closer to his companion.

"I did... It's just... We did what Cid wanted, didn't we? We got the Ring this far to Wutai. And I thought, seeing as how you're on the mend, we'd be off soon. Off home," Zack said, his last statement filled with a strong longing.

"You're right, Zack," Cloud said with a short nod. "We did what we set out to do. The ring will be safe in Wutai. I am ready to go home."

* * *

"His strength returns," Godo said calmly, observing Cloud.

"Pff, sure," Cid said, rolling his eyes.

"And yet, to have come so far, still bearing the Ring, the Hobbit has showed extraordinary resilience to evil."

"Whatever that means," Cid muttered.

"Cid, the enemy is moving. Jenova's forces are massing in the East. Her eye is fixed on Wutai. And Sephiroth, you tell me, has betrayed us. Our list of allies grows thin."

"I hear ya, Godo. He's making a whole army of Orcs and goblin men and stuff; real ugly creatures, they are. Sephiroth must really want that ring."

"This evil cannot be concealed by the power of the Elves. We do not have the strength to fight both Midgar and Junon!" Godo exclaimed, throwing his arms up into the air.

Cid ignored him, and walked further away, onto the balcony.

"Cid; the Ring cannot stay here," Godo said, now calming his voice.

* * *

Reeve arrived, then Tseng and the other elves, and then Barret and the other dwarves and gathered themselves around in a circle, waiting for Godo to present himself and begin the meeting.

"This peril belongs to the whole planet. They must decide now how to end it. The time of the Elves is over. My people are leaving these shores. Who will you look to when we've gone? The Dwarves? They hide in their mountains seeking riches. They care nothing for the troubles of others," Godo said, still speaking with privately with Cid.

"The men. We're tough guys," Cid said with a shrug.

"Men? Men are weak. The race of Men is failing. The blood of Numenor is all but spent. Its pride and dignity forgotten. It is because of Men the Ring survives. I was there, Cid. I was there three thousand years ago... when that idiot Grimoire failed the whole ring deal. It was rather pathetic to watch, and I don't want to have to see it again."

* * *

_"Grimoire! You idiot, hurry up and follow me!" Godo shouted. He led Grimoire into the heart of Mount Doom, where the Ring was forged; the one place that it could be destroyed. "Cast it into the fire! Destroy it, you wimp!" _

_"No," Grimoire said simply as he turned and left. _

_"YOU IDIOT!!" _

* * *

"It should have ended that day, but evil was allowed to endure. Grimoire kept the Ring. The line of kings is broken. There's no strength left in the world of Men. They're scattered, divided, leaderless." Godo trailed off and turned his back on Cid to pout.

"There's still that guy who could reclaim the throne of Gondor," Cid reminded him, a part of him not wanting Godo to pout--even if it was hilarious.

"Nah; he turned away from that path a long time ago. He has chosen exile."

* * *

"The shards of Narsil," Reeve said smoothly, admiring the blade in front of him."The blade that cut the ring from Hojo's hand."

Reeve cut his hand on the length of the sword, and reacted with a rather high-pitched scream. Reeve then looked around to make sure that no one heard his ridiculous scream, and sighed when he saw Vincent, watching him silently.

"It's still sharp," Reeve explained by way of an excuse.

Vincent just nodded slowly, though he didn't look like he believed him much.

"But no more than a broken heirloom," Reeve continued, feeling nervous by the silence.

Vincent still did not react, and Reeve quickly put the sword away before walking off. As he walked off, he heard the sword fall. He cringed, but refused to turn around and face Vincent after he was embarrassed more than enough.

* * *

Vincent sighed after Reeve left, and picked the sword up, putting it back in its place. He paused in front of it for a moment, taking in its significance.

"Why are you so scared of that flimsy scrap of metal? I mean, it's not like you're Grimoire himself. You're only his heir-just like I'm the heir of that crazy loony Godo!" A voice behind him giggled, which turned to all-out laughter after a few moments.

"The same blood flows in my veins. The same weakness," Vincent said calmly, though with a faint hint of bitterness.

"Whatever. You're so much better than that, you know?" Yuffie remarked, walking up behind Vincent and wrapping her slim arms around his own more muscular ones.

* * *

Later on, as Yuffie and Vincent stood on a bridge alone together on the grounds of Wutai, they had a conversation in the Elvish language about their past lives together.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" Yuffie asked Vincent as she looked up to him with her big, gray eyes.

"I thought I had strayed into a dream," Vincent said smoothly, remembering.

"That was like super long ago though. You had, like, none of the problems that you have now. Do you remember what I said to you that one time?"

"You said you would kill me if I ever so much as had a bad thought about you." Vincent said, a shallow smile coming to his generally impassive face.

"Yeah, I did!" Yuffie said; face brightening with a huge grin. "I LOVE YOU VINNIE!"

"Hmm?" Vincent said, turning to her slowly. It looked as if he had been distracted by the view away from the bridge and didn't hear her comment, even though she practically screamed it into his ear.

"I SAID I LOVE YOU VINNIE!" Yuffie repeated as before.

"Oh..." Vincent said, looking back at the scenery.

"I SAID I LOVE YOU AND YOU LOOK AT SCENERY?" Yuffie shouted, balling her hands into fists. "WHAT KIND OF BOYFRIEND ARE YOU?"

Vincent, as if hearing her for the first time, finally turned to her with an almost surprised expression, since someone like Vincent couldn't actually be completely surprised with his lack of expression. "I love you too, Yuffie," he said finally.

"You had better love me. Hey, you know what? I'm going to be a mortal!" With that, Yuffie whipped off a necklace that she wore that signified her immortality, and handed it to her boyfriend.

"You cannot give me this," Vincent said, trying to give it back.

"It's MINE and I can give it to who I WANT. So there," Yuffie said, crossing her arms, closing her eyes, and sticking out her tongue at Vincent.

Vincent caught her in the moment with a kiss, pulling her gently towards him and ignoring her squeal of surprise.

"Mmmm," Yuffie murmured after they broke apart. "Hey Vinnie?"

"Yes?" Vincent said, his hands still holding her arms.

"You haven't given _me _a nickname yet."

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children


	13. The Council of Godo

**A/N: So I only found one place where I used the wrong name, and I couldn't find any others. So if anyone spots a place, maybe you could point it out? Anyways, here is chapter 13. **

* * *

**13.) The Council of Godo**

Godo made it to the semicircle of men, elves, and dwarves, and took a seat at his place at the head.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old; you have been summoned to answer the threat of Midgar. The planet stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite, or you will fall. Each race is bound this fate, this one doom. Bring forth the ring, Cloud."

Cloud stepped forward and placed the ring onto the stone table in the center.

"So it is true," Reeve breathed in awe.

"The doom of man!" A random elf gasped.

"It is a gift," Reeve corrected, glancing sharply at the man. "A gift to the foes of Midgar."

The elf who had gasped looked at Reeve in confusion, wondering why what Reeve said had changed what he said.

Ignoring the elf, Reeve stood up.

"Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Nibelheim kept the forces of Midgar at bay by the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Nibelheim the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!" Reeve suggested enthusiastically.

"You cannot wield it. None of us can. The One Ring answers to Hojo alone. It has no other master," Vincent said.

"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" Reeve scoffed.

"He is no mere Ranger," Tseng defended Vincent, standing up. "He is Vincent, son of Grimoire. You owe him your allegiance."

"Vincent? This is Grimoire's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Nibelheim."

"Sit down, Tseng," Vincent said, gesturing Tseng to his seat.

Tseng obliged to Vincent's command as if he were a king already.

"Nibelheim has no king. Nibelheim needs no King," Reeve spat bitterly.

"Shut up and sit down," Cid growled, pointing Reeve to his seat.

"You only have one choice," Godo announced, over all other bickering voices. "The Ring must be destroyed."

"What are we waiting for?" Barret, a dwarf, roared as he sprang from his seat and tried to smash the Ring with his metal prosthetic gun arm.

Unfortunately, before his arm could make contact with the ring, and electrical current went between the two and made him fly backwards into a very annoyed Rude.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Barret, by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Midgar, and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." Godo said, looking at each person as his gaze passed by them. "One of you must do this."

"One does not simply walk into Midgar. Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Mother is ever-watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air that you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly," Reeve scoffed, as if the whole idea was just ridiculous.

"Have you heard nothing Lord Godo has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Tseng shouted, apparently trying to start another fight with Reeve.

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!" Barret shouted as he got to his feet, glaring at Tseng.

"And if we fail, what then? What happens when Hojo takes back what is his?" Reeve shouted, arguing with whoever he felt like arguing with.

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" Barret roared, pointing at Tseng.

All the elves stood up simultaneously to defend their honor, followed quickly by the dwarves to defend their position. Then the humans, to hold their own, and then Reno, Rude, and Zack for no reason whatsoever.

"EVERYONE SHUT THE -- UP!" Cid roared above the bickering.

As everyone quieted instantly, Cid nodded fiercely then sat back down and tossed a toothpick into his mouth. "Now someone volunteer to take the -- ring before I die of irritation."

"I will take it! I will take it!" Cloud volunteered, waving his hand in the air enthusiastically. "I will take this Ring to Midgar! Except I don't know the way..." Cloud trailed off, realization coming to his face as he remembered that he had no idea how to get to Midgar.

"I'll show ya," Cid grumbled, turning his head away as Cloud's face brightened at the thought of his dear old friend coming along with him on his journey.

"If by my life or death, if I can protect you, I will," Vincent vowed in a low voice, kneeling beside Cloud. "You have my Cerberus."

Cid turned to Godo and winked.

"And you have my bow," Tseng said, also standing next to Cloud.

"And my metal prosthetic gun arm," Barret agreed, also standing near Cloud.

Reeve was the last to walk slowly towards Cloud.

"You carry the fates of all of us, little one." He said with a small smile as he set his hand on Cloud's shoulder. "If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Nibelheim will see it done."

"Hey!" Zack yelled, pushing his way through the tall people all around him, "Cloud's not going anywhere without his good pal Zack!"

"No, indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you from him, even when he is summoned to a secret Council, and you are not," Godo remarked with an amused face.

Zack's face turned a brilliant shade of red as he slumped his shoulders in embarrassment.

"Oi! We're coming too!" Reno shouted, running through the mass of people to get to Cloud.

"You'll have to skin us alive, and stuff our insides with dirt, feed our loins to geese, pull out all of our hairs individually, beat our remains to a pulp, and boil our soupy remains if you want to stop us," Rude said in a calm voice as he stepped next to Cloud.

The crowd grew silent as they pictured the horrific deed that Rude mentioned.

"Anyway," Reno went on to break the uncomfortable silence, "you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission."

The crowd stayed silent.

"Quest," Reno corrected himself, thinking his wording was what was keeping everyone so quiet.

"Thing," Reno tried as a last resort as the people kept silent.

"Well that rules you out, Reno." Rude said, cracking a joke with a completely calm and serious expression on his face.

At this, everyone broke the silence at once and started laughing at the now red-faced Reno.

"Nice companions. So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." Godo said, clapping his hands together in glee.

"Great!" Reno exclaimed. Then, he hesitated before asking an important question. "Where are we going?"

Everyone went silent again, and left the Council meeting, not looking back at Reno.

"What? Hey? Where's everyone going?" Reno asked, gesturing helplessly with his arms.

Rude started leaving as well, and Reno cried out in protest. "Not you too!" When Rude didn't turn back, Reno was left all alone. "Hmph. Well, that does it. See if _I _care."

Reno tried standing there all alone for a while to prove to everyone how little he cared if no one was with him, but gave up after a while once realizing that no one would be there to see him to prove anything anyway.

"Hey everyone, wait up!"

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own the Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children


	14. The Ring Goes South

**A/N: One more chapter down! I figure there's going to be about 22 chapters before it's done. **

* * *

**14.) The Ring Goes South**

Cloud walked into the room with Rufus, admiring the many elvish decorations on the walls. He watched in silence as Rufus took a sword from its cloth wrappings, and held it out to Cloud.

"My old sword, Buster. Here, take it. Take it," Rufus urged, handing it over to his nephew.

"It's so heavy," Cloud grunted as he took the sword.

"Yes, yes... made by the dwarves, you know? There are actually 6 swords in there," Rufus said with a smile, admiring the sword himself as well. Once he was satisfied with Cloud's reaction to the sword, he took out something else. He took out a fine silver vest of armor. "Here's a pretty thing. Mithril; as light as a feather, and as hard as dragon scales."

Cloud took the armor, and obliged with anticipation when Rufus asked to see him put it on. But as Cloud began to unbutton his shirt, Rufus saw the ring hanging from a chain on Cloud's neck, and stared, transfixed at it.

"Oh - M-my old ring. Oh! I sh-should very much like - to hold it again, one last time," Rufus said, still staring transfixed at the gold ring.

Cloud, sensing one of Rufus's crazy spells, began quickly buttoning up his shirt again.

But Rufus would not have it, and let out a loud roar before tackling poor Cloud to the ground, yanking roughly at the chain on Cloud's neck as if trying to physically rip the ring off of the chain. But the chain was made of harder material than that, and Rufus only succeeded in choking his unfortunate nephew.

"Ack," Cloud coughed in a strangled voice, eyes drifting to the back of his head.

Rufus, alarmed, dropped the chain at once and got off of Cloud, backing slowly away from him.

He gave Cloud one more glance, then turned his back to Cloud and dropped his head into his hands, weeping.

"I'm sorry I brought this upon you, my boy... I'm sorry that you must carry this burden... I'm sorry for everything!" Rufus choked between light tears.

Cloud got up and placed a hand reassuringly onto Rufus's shoulder, and Rufus reached back and placed his hand onto Cloud's, both of them knowing that from then on, it would be tough.

* * *

The next day, the fellowship of the ring departed from Wutai.

"A'ight, so first we go west from the Misty Mountains for 40 days, and then the Gap of Rohan will still be open for us if we're lucky. Which, with our luck, isn't likely. Then we go east all the way to Midgar. Any questions?" Cid announced, turning around to face the rest of the fellowship at his last question and taking the toothpick out of his mouth as he turned.

When the rest of the group was silent, Cid nodded and threw his old toothpick aside before taking a new one out of his pocket.

* * *

When the group finally stopped for lunch after many complaints of hunger from three particular hobbits lagging along in the back, the fellowship ran off to do their different tasks.

Reeve taught Reno and Rude how to fight with swords, even though Reno insisted on his own strange looking weapon instead. He called it an 'EMR'.

"Two, one, five. Good! Very good," Reeve said, congratulating his pupils.

Vincent, meanwhile, sat on a rock not far off, watching the training with solemn intensity in his golden eyes. He had been very silent for most of the trip, except for his few wisely placed comments.

"Move your feet," Vincent said, directing his command to the two trainees.

"Good job, Reno." Rude said, admiring his companion.

"Thanks," Reno said, looking at Rude with obvious gratitude on his features.

It wasn't often that Reno received a comment like that from Rude.

"Faster!" Reeve scolded as he bopped Reno on the head with the end of his sword while Reno was distracted by Rude's comment.

Reno rubbed the new bump on his head with a pout, but obeyed his instructor's demand.

"If anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way round. Cid! We could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome." Barret said, crossing his buff arms across his equally buff chest.

"I wouldn't take the Mines of Moria if they were the last -- mines on the -- planet," Cid answered with a scowl.

Just then, Tseng noticed something in the distance, and ran up onto a rock to get a better view.

Reeve, for the moment, was fighting with Reno and chasing him around with a sword. However, seeing as Reno was a lot smaller than him and could circle around the large rocks more easily than he, Reeve changed his mind and sheathed his sword. But he didn't give up-- no, he picked up a small rock and chucked it at the fleeing hobbit, hitting him square in the head.

"Ow!" Reno whined, rubbing his brand new bump.

It must have just been coincidence that he now had two very similarly shaped bumps on either side of his head, rising up like devil's horns.

"Sorry," Reeve said with a shrug, though he didn't look very sorry at all.

But Reno knew that Reeve wasn't sorry, and wasn't buying it in the least.

"Get him!" Reno shouted with one finger pointed accusingly at Reeve.

Rude nodded to Reno, and charged at Reeve with his new sword.

"Hold him! Hold him down, Rude!" Reno said after Rude tackled Reeve.

"You've got my arm," Rude pointed out to Reno.

"Oh," Reno said, blushing and unhanding his friend's arm.

Reeve had already wiggled out from Rude's one-handed grasp though, and was currently walking towards Tseng to try and get a better look at whatever Tseng was looking at so intensely.

"What is that?" Zack asked, pointing to a gray cloud-like substance in the distance.

"Nothing," Barret grunted, in a bad mood about the mines argument with Cid. "It's just a wisp of cloud."

"It's moving fast," Reeve noted, "against the wind."

"Sin Bahamut!" Tseng cried, jumping down from the rock and running away. "Hide!"

"Cloud, hurry!" Reeve yelled. "Take cover!"

Zack rushed to put out the fire, taking the pan of sausages that he had been eating with him. Cloud, Vincent, and the others took their cloaks and other belongings, before hiding behind the rocks.

The Sin Bahamut scavenged the area meanwhile, exploring it thoroughly as they know they are there.

"Spies!" Cid spat in agitation, "We're going to have to change our -- direction!"

"Cloud!" Zack exclaimed as Cloud began falling down the steep and snowy mountains to their next destination.

Zack quickly helped his friend up, and placed a hand on Cloud's shoulders before he tumbled too far. Cloud brushed the snow off of his clothes in a detached manner, and then started searching for the ring to find that he had dropped it.

Reeve picked the ring up by the chain from the snow, looking strangely at the ring.

Vincent approached Reeve swiftly, and set a hand to his hip where his holster was, gripping his gun firmly.

"Reeve," Vincent said in a low warning tone.

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing," Reeve mused, still looking at the ring strangely.

"Reeve," Vincent's tone rose and his gaze hardened on Reeve. "Give the ring to Cloud."

Reeve walked slowly towards Cloud and Zack, and held out the ring slowly.

"As you wish," Reeve said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Cloud quickly snatched the ring and swung it around his neck.

"I care not," Reeve laughed, his face brightening instantly.

He ruffled Cloud's spiky hair and walked off.

Vincent released the grip on his gun, and followed the rest of the group, keeping a keen eye on Reeve.

* * *

Sephiroth sighed, and looked up at Sin Bahamut.

_"So Highwind, you tried to leave them over Caradhras. And if that fails, where then will you go?"_ Sephiroth's voice carried out throughout the room, echoing off the walls.

_"If the mountain defeats you, will you risk a more dangerous road?"_ Sephiroth questioned.

* * *

Tseng walked at a brisk, yet graceful pace ahead of the others with ease. However, behind him, Cid and the others were finding it very difficult to walk in the snow.

Vincent and Reeve were holding two hobbits each, who, without their help, probably would have been blown right off the mountain. A voice echoed in the mountains, and Tseng was the first to hear it.

"There is a fell voice on the air," Tseng observed loud enough for everyone to hear.

"It's Sephiroth, the -- --!" Cid growled.

Boulders fell from the mountain, whether from Sephiroth's voice or Cid's growling, the planet would never know.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain! Cid, we must turn back!" Reeve shouted over the pounding of rocks hitting the mountain, flying downwards at rapid speeds.

"No! MOUNTAIN I COMMAND YOU TO SHUT UP!" Cid bellowed.

* * *

But Sephiroth, from who knows how many miles away, heard Cid and scoffed.

_He thinks he can stop my wrath? Ha ha. We'll just see about that. _

_"Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your blood-stained horn shall fall upon the enemy-hands!"_ Sephiroth shouted back.

Upon command, a bolt of lightening hit the mountain, bringing down an overload of snow and rocks.

* * *

The fellowship was buried beneath the snow, but, with some difficulty, managed to get themselves out of it. Tseng was the first to gracefully climb out of the snow, followed by Vincent, who moved with such fluency that it was an odd thing to think that he had been buried underneath the snow in the first place. Tseng, apparently taking this as a '_Who has more grace?' _contest, began walking lightly above the snow to help out the rest of the fellowship.

Vincent, not taking this as any sort of contest, did not try to help anyone out of the snow. Everyone else seemed to manage just fine by their selves.

"We must get off the mountain!" Reeve yelled upon popping his head out of the snow. "Make for the Gap of Rohan! Or take the west road to my city! Or-"

But Reeve didn't get to finish his statement, because at that moment, Cid's head popped out of the snow next to him, along with Cid's hand, which slapped itself onto Reeve's mouth, stopping him from speaking further.

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Junon," Vincent said calmly from the sidelines, scrutinizing everything with a cool serenity.

"We can't pass over a mountain," Barret said, brushing snow off of his clothes. "Let's go under it through the Mines of Moria!"

Cid visibly rolled his eyes at Barret's persistence on going to the mines.

_"Moria,"_Sephiroth cut in from somewhere very far off. _"You fear to go into those mines. The_ _Dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke there in the darkness of Khazad-dûm: Shadow and flame."_

"How does he _do _that?" Reno asked, referring to Sephiroth.

Rude slapped a hand over Reno's mouth to prevent him from asking any more stupid questions, as Cid spoke.

"How 'bout we have a thumb-wrestling tournament?" Cid suggested with a grin, adjusting his gloves with a quick wink at Barret, who smirked back at him.

The thumb tournament went quick, and Barret easily won all three rounds.

"-- --!" Cid exclaimed in anger. "That doesn't count! Cloud should decide. He has that -- ring after all."

"We will go through the mines," Cloud said with a roll of his eyes.

Everyone else was thinking it. What was the _point _of the thumb-wrestling tournament?

Cid mumbled obscenities as he grudgingly followed Barret towards the mines.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children.


	15. A Journey in the Dark

**A/N: Another long-ish chapter. I can assure you that all my chapters will not be this long. A lot of the later chapters I think are going to get shorter, but maybe that's a good thing... After all, my shortest chapter so far got the most reviews (3!). ****Also, if anyone can, could you give me a short summary of Lucrecia's role in FF7? **

* * *

**15.) A Journey in the Dark**

After a long journey led by Barret, the fellowship walked down to a dark, slimy lake. The water was murky, and even the dirtiest of the travelers would not dare to venture in.

"The walls of Moria," Barret said, gesturing to a stone wall nearby.

"Uh huh," Cid said as he looked up at the writing on the wall, trying to decipher it.

Cid stared at it for a while before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small book, which turned out to be an elvish translating dictionary.

"It says... 'The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter.'" Cid said before putting his pocket dictionary away.

"What does that mean?" Reno asked.

"It means that we have to sacrifice a brainless hobbit into the murky depths of the lake to the Lord of Moria before the rest of us can enter," Cid explained to Reno.

Reno's face turned white at the explanation, and slowly backed away from the captain.

"He was only joking, Reno." Zack said, laughing.

Cid did not laugh though, and Zack's laughs quickly subsided.

"Er, maybe not," Zack mumbled, also backing away from Cid.

"If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open," Reeve said loudly, with an exasperated sigh at the end to show how little effort it took into figuring it out.

Cid grumbled and pulled out his pocket dictionary and started spouting off any passwords that he could think of in Elvish.

"Open Sesame!"

It didn't work.

"Abracadabra!"

No luck.

"Alakazam!"

Still no luck.

"Bippity boppity boo!"

Er, no luck there either.

"JUST OPEN UP YOU -- DOOR!" Cid bellowed, kicking at the door.

Needless to say, no luck.

* * *

While Cid went through his dictionary, starting with the A's, the rest of the fellowship found other things to do.

Vincent stood motionless next to a tree, staring at Cid's futile attempts of opening the door with mild interest. Tseng stood by him, trying to mimic his still stance and mildly amused expression.

Barret was standing on the opposite side of Vincent and Tseng, looking irritated and about to blow a fuse.

Cloud stood staring up at the writing on the wall and furrowing his brows, trying to figure out what was wrong. Zack stood by him, looking bored out of his mind.

Reno and Rude, however, also bored out of their minds, began picking up stones and trying to skip them across the lake.

"Ha! My stone went further than your stone!" Reno boasted, pointing out to the lake.

Rude just stared, wondering how Reno's logic worked. His stone had skipped 5 times, and made it to about the middle of the lake. Reno's stone hadn't skipped at all. In fact, Reno just hurled it into the lake, though he _did_ suppose that it went further than his own.

Suddenly, both hobbits felt a presence behind them, and both turned around simultaneously with frightened looks on their faces.

"Do not disturb the water," Vincent scolded in a dark tone.

* * *

Cid, meanwhile, was having no luck with the passwords.

"This -- door doesn't -- work!" Cid shouted, throwing his dictionary into the lake somewhere in the middle of the C's.

"It's a riddle," Cloud abruptly said, stepping forward, having finally figured it out. "Speak 'friend', and enter. What's the Elvish word for friend?"

Cid's gaze slowly followed where he threw his dictionary into the lake, and regretted it now.

"I guess we'll never know," Cid said. "Unless..."

Cid's face turned wicked as he turned towards Reno.

Reno backed up and screamed, running as far from Cid as possible.

"Mellon," Vincent said; his voice low and melodic.

The doors opened, and everyone turned towards Vincent.

"You -- knew Elvish and you let me -- go through the -- dictionary while you -- stood by and -- watched?" Cid growled, glaring at Vincent.

Vincent ignored the captain and entered the mines.

"Melon? I don't get it," Reno whispered to Rude.

"I don't think he said melon," Rude answered.

* * *

"Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone! This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A MINE!" Barret laughed, nudging Tseng with his elbow.

"Heh heh," Tseng laughed lightly, pretending he found it funny.

"This is no mine. It's a tomb," Reeve spat in disguist as dead, rotting dwarves and orcs came into view, covered in cobwebs.

"No! Nooo! NOOOO!" Barret roared, pounding his fists against the walls.

"Goblins!" Tseng hissed, taking an arrow from a dead body.

"We must make for the Gap of Rohan. We should have never come here! Now get out of here! Get out!!" Reeve screamed hysterically, practically running around in circles.

Everyone, taken by panic, ran out of the cave-- save Vincent, who simply strolled.

As they exited the mines, however, a tentacle from the lake reached out and wrapped itself around Cloud's ankle, pulling him into the water.

"Cloud!" Rude gasped.

"Cloud! Help!" Reno yelled, turning to Vincent for help.

"Dracula!" Cloud shouted, hands raking at the rocks, or anything to keep him from being pulled into the depths of the lake.

"Dracula!" Zack hollered, running as he tried to make Vincent go faster.

"Help!" Cloud pleaded.

"Get off him!" Zack ordered the octopus thing.

Unfortunately, that didn't work as well as he intended.

"Vincent!" Rude called.

Reno turned to Rude with a questioning look on his face.

"Who's Vincent?" Reno asked.

"Vincent is 'Dracula,' as you call him. You were supposed to figure that out a while ago," Rude said.

"Oh," Reno mouthed, nodding.

The hobbits helped by slashing at the creature with their swords, cutting off bits and pieces of the tentacles here and there. They managed to free Cloud from the creature, but as the creature backed away from the water as if in submission, many more came out from the water-this time swinging poor Cloud high up in the air.

"AAAH!" Cloud screamed as he felt himself being thrown up into the air roughly.

"Cloud!" Reno shouted.

"Dracula!" Cloud screamed.

Tseng whipped out his trusty bow and arrow combo and shot the creature's tentacles, while Reeve entered the water and slashed at the tentacles with his sword. Vincent stood back with his gun, and shot at the creature.

Tseng gasped as he blinked and saw Vincent disappear.

_Nah; that was just some graceful move that he was showing off. People don't disappear, _Tseng thought, trying to make sense of what he witnessed.

Reeve cut off the tentacle that was holding Cloud, and Barret rushed in and managed to catch the falling hobbit.

"Into the mines!" Barret shouted before making off with Cloud in arms.

"Tseng! Into the cave!" Reeve ordered. "Run!"

The creature rose out of the water, exposing its massive height and mass. It crawled over to the entrance and blocked it, forbidding any light to pass through.

* * *

"--! Now we _have _to go through Moria!" Cid cursed.

Cid took out his handy-dandy flashlight and flicked it on, emitting a faint yellowish glow in their path.

A hill approached, and climbing upward, Reno let some rocks fall onto Rude.

"Reno!" Rude complained, shaking his hair-free head free of the dust caused by the rocks.

* * *

After some time, the fellowship came to an opening, where there came three passages to choose from.

"I don't remember this place," Cid mused, frowning at the passages.

"Are we lost?" Reno whispered to Rude with a worried expression etched across his face.

"No," Rude answered.

"I think we are," Reno argued, setting his hands firmly on his hips.

"Shhh. Cid's thinking," Rude said, holding a finger up in a gesture to silence his friend.

"Rude..." Reno said, beginning to tap his foot impatiently in an annoyed manner.

"What?" Rude hissed, just as irritated as Reno now.

"I'm hungry," Reno pouted, hands still on hips though his feet had stopped their insistent tapping.

Cloud noticed something in the distance, and squinted to see it better. He hurried towards Cid to sit beside him, and leaned in to whisper something to his older companion.

"There's something down there!" Cloud said anxiously.

"It's that -- Cait Sith," Cid grumbled by way of answer.

"Cait Sith?" Cloud asked, furrowing his brows confusedly.

"He's been following us for three -- days."

"He escaped the dungeons?"

"Either that or set loose. He's crazy about that thing you wear around your neck."

"It's a pity Rufus didn't kill him when he had the chance," Cloud murmured.

"Yeah, well, we can't all have what we want," Cid said with a knowing smirk.

"I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened," Cloud said as his gaze turned towards his feet, his expression turning into a gloomy one.

"That's what everyone wants," Cid sighed. Then his face lightened. "It's that way!"

Cid pointed off to one of the passages, suddenly remembering which way was the right way.

"He's remembered, see?" Rude pointed out to Reno, who just grumbled in response.

"Nah," Cid said, denying Rude's observation. "The air just doesn't _stink _as much down there. If you're ever in doubt around here, just follow your nose."

With that, Cid shined his flashlight on the indicating passageway, and the group went off.

"Ha," Reno said, smirking at Rude.

Rude just rolled his eyes behind his dark sunglasses and followed Cid.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own the Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children


	16. The Bridge of Bone Village

**A/N: Okay, long chapter here. I actually feel kind of bad posting long chapters, knowing that some of the ones coming up aren't even going to be half this long. --Sigh.-- Oh well. Enjoy! **

* * *

**16.) The Bridge of Bone Village **

The fellowship walked on, but as they did, Barret spotted a doorway to the side. It was a tall black door, strewn with the bodies of dead orcs. Without any form of explanation, Barret ran through the door and into a chamber.

"Barret!" Cid roared, annoyed at the dwarf taking an unnecessary detour.

From inside of the chamber, crashes were heard as bricks were thrown around the room in anger.

Cid grumbled and gestured for the rest of the group to follow him into the depths of the chamber.

" 'Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria.'" Cid read a tablet on top of a stone casket. "Well, then I'm guessing he must be dead." Cid bowed his head slightly, trying to give Barret the impression of him being respectful.

"We must move on. We cannot linger," Tseng said, shifting from foot to foot impatiently, yet gracefully, near the entrance.

But Cid had picked up a book from off of the dirty ground and began reading. " 'They have taken the bridge and the second hall. We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A Shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming.'"

Reno, trying to make use of the time there, poked a skeleton that was slumped against a well in curiosity. With a loud clash, the skeleton fell into the well, bringing the bucket with it as well as some loose bricks from the well.

Reno covered his ears and shut his eyes tightly, knowing that everyone was probably now looking at him in annoyance because he managed to do something stupid-- again.

"You dim-witted Turk! Throw yourself in next time, and rid us of your -- stupidity!" Cid said in an insulting manner, throwing the book from his hands across the room and hitting a wall.

At that moment, drumming noises were heard.

"Uh oh," Zack said, backing up and bumping into Cloud by accident, "sorry," Zack murmured to his friend.

"Orcs," Tseng hissed, rushing away from the entrance swiftly.

Reeve ran to the door to shut it, and two arrows coming from the other side whizzed past his head, narrowly missing him.

"Get back!" Vincent warned the hobbits in a fierce whisper. "Stay close to Cid."

"They have a cave-troll," Reeve said in horror.

Reeve and Barret barred the doors, and then stood facing them, their weapons out. Vincent stood further back, guarding Zack and Cloud with his Ceberus out. Tseng stood on the other side of Vincent with his bow, guarding Reno and Rude.

"Let them come! There is one dwarf yet in Moria that still draws breath," Barret grumbled angrily.

* * *

The orcs arrived at the door, roaring in ear-piercing voices-- _really _ear-piercing.

Barrret thought his ears were going to fall off.

The door was axed through, and Vincent instantly began shooting at the orcs through the break in the door. Tseng followed suit, and a multitude of orcs dropped dead on the ground, shaking violently before becoming very still.

"Argh!" Barret roared as he charged for the door as orcs came crawling through.

His metal prosthetic arm sprung into view as it was brought across the face of an unsuspecting orc with great speed. The orc's bloody face was nearly wrenched off its neck as Barret's arm rammed into it with a nearly impossible amount of strength.

Tseng whipped his bow and arrows behind his back as the orcs came too close to shoot at any longer. With that, he whipped out two swords and began dancing around gracefully, slicing any orcs that dared to come into his path. His swords sliced the head cleanly off of an ill-fated orc in an 'X' position as they were pulled toward him. The head of the orc rolled across the dirty floor, mixing dirt with blood and leaving lifeless wide eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling in the orcs last shocked expression.

Cid seized his spear and started stabbing orcs right and left, not looking at those whose lives he ripped apart as they hit the ground with dull thuds, never to stand up again. An orc laughed dumbly as he locked his sword with Cid's spear, thinking that Cid was scared. But Cid took one hand off of his spear and used it to take the toothpick out of his mouth and, in one quick motion, stabbed it through the eye of the idiot orc, smirking to himself as the orc unlocked his sword from Cids and began clawing at his face, trying to get the toothpick out. After replacing his toothpick, Cid gripped his spear and ran the orc through.

Reno and Rude teamed up back to back as they fought off orcs from both sides. Except that their 'back to back' plan didn't work so well since Rude kept trying to back up away from the action at the same time as Reno was trying to jump in it. Thus, their backs quickly became further and further apart.

"Yargh!" Reno shouted, his short sword out in front of him as he charged the orcs, trying to remember everything that Reeve taught him as he fought. He kept a keen eye on his footwork, trying to do everything right. He shocked himself as he ran an orc through, his shocked face quickly turning into one of glee as he thrust his sword backwards, killing another; then another, as he brought his sword into the open screaming mouth of an orc charging him. Reno's mouth opened in awe as he watched the orc in front of him spitting up blood with Reno's sword in his mouth, yet kept charging Reno. Reno retrieved his sword and stabbed the orc through the heart, not bothering to watch it fall as Reno turned to his next opponent.

Rude, meanwhile, kept a serious face as he stabbed orc after orc in a clean and dignified manner-- or, at least as dignified as one could possibly be when you were killing orcs.

Reeve killed all orcs in his path with obvious experience, not even wincing in the slightest at the gory scene he created as he stabbed one after another.

Zack was terribly nervous when the fight began, thinking over and over again that he was going to die there. Vincent stood tall in front of him though, shooting the orcs before they could get to Zack with great precision. Zack couldn't help but admire the straight face upon his protector; how he could stay so calm and cool in a situation such as this.

Somehow though, an orc got past Vincent when the man's golden eyes were focused on another. Zack's breath hitched in his throat as he tried to scream as the orc approached him. He held his sword in front of him; chin quivering slightly as he swallowed his fear.

Zack took one courageous step forward and stabbed the orc swiftly, twisting the sword as it embedded itself inside of the orc. As the orc dropped dead, an unknown emotion sprang into Zack. His mouth dropped open in shock as he looked at the dead body of the orc in front of him. He had done it-he had killed the orc. Bringing his head up slowly with a newfound determination, he smirked and strolled confidently over to the next orc, running it through with the smirk still upon his face.

* * *

Cloud was so caught up in killing any orc that entered the place that he was shocked when he found that there were no more orcs left to kill. His shock didn't last long though, when he heard a steady pounding sound, shaking the room and causing a small earthquake.

He looked up and saw the cave troll, jaw hanging slack when he saw how incredibly huge it was. He was literally taken away when the troll picked Cloud up and began dragging him away.

"Cloud!" Reeve shouted.

Vincent turned and instantly began shooting at the troll, and Tseng blinked as he saw Vincent disappear again. When he looked again, he saw a cape similar to the one that Vincent had been wearing suspended in the air, moving towards the troll quickly. He blinked again, and even saw bullets whizzing towards the troll. Vincent was the only one with a gun that shot like that. Barret's gun arm would have been louder, and less percise.

The troll waved its gigantic arms at the cape, as if trying to catch it. In the process, the creature dropped Cloud, who rolled off to the side and retrieved his sword before running back to face the troll.

Shaking away his lunacy, Tseng drew his bow and tried to put his focus on the troll.

The troll swung his huge arms, and hit Reeve who had only just begun to charge it. Reeve was thrown aside into the far wall, bringing a section of the wall down with him.

Cid ran up and thrust his spear into the troll, though it did not seem to have much of an affect on the huge troll. The cave troll simply plucked the spear from his skin and tossed it at Cloud, pinning him against the wall.

Reno and Rude looked from Cloud to the troll, nearly identical looks of fury appearing on their faces. They exchanged glances, and then charged the troll and jumped onto it's back.

"CLOUD!" Zack screamed, running over to Cloud quickly.

Tseng, jumping on the troll, managed to get a few good shots with his arrow into the troll, and jumped off gracefully as the troll swayed on its feet and tumbled to the ground, dead.

The troll was finished.

* * *

Vincent walked over to Cloud and turned him over, his brows coming together slightly with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"He's alive," Zack breathed.

"I'm all right. I'm not hurt," Cloud said, sitting up with little struggle.

"You _should _be dead," Vincent said in a low voice, observing Cloud.

"That spear would have skewered a wild chocobo," Reeve said as he approached the scene.

"What the --?" Cid muttered, also looking Cloud over.

Cloud unbuttoned his shirt partway, revealing his mithril coat.

"Mithril!" Barret exclaimed.

The group turned as more orcs were heard coming.

"To the bone bridge!" Cid barked, pointing everyone off in the right direction.

* * *

They obeyed, but Moria was filled with orcs. Soon enough, the group was surrounded. But from the end of the hallway, they could see a faint red glow on the walls.

The orcs ran.

Tseng held his bow out, ready, but soon lowered it.

"What is this new devilry?" Reeve asked.

"A Balrog Bahamut. A demon of the ancient world," Cid informed them. "This honking piece of -- is too powerful for us. Run!"

"Quickly!" Barret ordered.

"Cid!" Vincent called when Cid did not move.

"Lead them on, Vincent. The bridge is near," Cid said in a low voice unlike his usual self.

Vincent took a step toward Cid, but Cid pushed him away roughly and towards the stone bridge that stood over a boiling pit of lava.

"Do as I say you -- --!" Cid roared at Vincent.

Vincent turned without a word, and led the group onward. But the stones were breaking, and their paths were being cut.

The party halted when a gap in the rock came up. Tseng, however, did not stop. He jumped the gap, and then turned around, standing ready to help the rest of the group.

"Show off," Barret grumbled under his breath.

"Cid!" Tseng called, signaling for the man to jump.

Cid, grumbling something about not needing help, jumped over the gap and was helped over by Tseng.

"Reno! Rude!" Reeve said, calling for the two hobbits.

They came quickly, and Reeve grabbed each of them as he jumped over with them under his arms.

Tseng helped them over on the other side.

Rocks crumbled away from the other side, and Tseng pushed the group away from where they were falling. Their gap was now made larger.

"Zack," Vincent said quietly.

Zack made his way reluctantly over to Vincent, screeching in surprise as he was tossed hurriedly over the gap and into Tseng's open arms.

"Nobody," Barret said, holding Vincent's arms away as Vincent tried to reach out to him, "tosses a dwarf."

With that, Barret threw his arms back and then forward again as he tried to jump the gap. However, he would have fallen back into the abyss if it had not been for Tseng reaching out and grabbing his metal prosthetic gun arm.

"Not the arm!" Barret tried to shout as he was pulled onto the gap. His arm swung upward as he gained balance on the ledge, and the gun started blowing off bullets repeatedly, spinning around uncontrollably.

Tseng tried to grab Barret's arm to point it in a different direction, but it seemed as if the arm had a mind of its own. It hit the walls, bringing more and more rocks crashing down into the abyss.

Finally, the gun slowed to a stop, and Barret turned to face Tseng with a glare.

Tseng simply shrugged sheepishly.

"Cloud!" Vincent called.

Vincent and Cloud were the only two remaining on the other side of t hap. The stone stairs they were standing on looked as though they were about to collapse. Vincent held Cloud by the back of his shirt.

"Steady," Vincent warned the hobbit in a low voice.

The rock began to sway, and the top of the stone broke away from the bottom bit, and it fell at an angle, towards the bit of stone that the rest of the fellowship was standing on.

"Lean forward," Vincent ordered Cloud. "Steady..."

"Come on!" Tseng yelled. "Now!"

Cloud and Vincent managed to get off of the bit of rock that they stood on, and joined the others on the other side.

"Over the bridge! Go!" Cid ordered.

* * *

With that, Cid turned to face Balrog Bahamut. He turned again to see that the others were waiting for him, before turning his attention back to the monster in front of him. They ran across the bridge, but others stayed behind to watch Cid, who remained in the middle of the bridge, facing Balrog Bahamut armed with his spear.

"Back beast!" Cid shouted, thrusting his spear in the monster's direction.

Cloud, the only one besides Cid who had not yet passed the bridge, looked at Cid with a horrific realization on his face.

"Cid!" Cloud screamed.

The others, on the other side of the bridge, turned and saw Cloud.

"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" Cid shouted loudly, spinning his spear once quickly before holding it behind his back and preparing to attack.

Instead of attacking though, Cid brought his spear down on a crack in the bridge, breaking it and causing Balrog Bahamut to fall.

Relieved, Cid let out a sigh. He began to turn around, but as he did so, the whip of the monster caught his ankle, pulling him down.

Cid caught a hold onto the edge of the bridge, but couldn't keep his grip.

There was nothing that the fellowship could do to help him now.

Reeve ran forward to grab Cloud, and stop him from running to Cid.

"No! No!" Cloud wailed, trying to break Reeve's grasp on him. "CID!"

"Get the -- out of here, you idiots!" Cid wheezed before losing his grip on the wall and falling into the abyss.

"NO!! NO!!" Cloud cried, tears already streaming down his face.

The resisting Cloud was carried away by Reeve.

The fellowship left, but Vincent remained behind, still looking into the abyss with a solemn expression on his face.

"Vincent!" Reeve shouted back, still holding a struggling Cloud.

* * *

The fellowship emerged from the darkness of Moria, to find themselves in brilliant sunlight, in the mountains, where they stop for some time, grieving.

Zack casts himself onto a rock, head in hand, while Reeve comforted a shouting and very angry and struggling Barret, who seemed as though he wanted to re-enter the mines.

A somber faced Rude consoled a weeping Reno.

Nearby, Tseng stood alone, wearing a look of disbelief.

Vincent was standing off to the side, polishing his gun casually.

"Tseng, get them up," Vincent ordered, not looking up from his gun.

"Give them a moment for pity's sake!" Reeve pleaded, gesturing to the grieving hobbits.

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs. We must reach the woods of Lothlorien. Come Reeve. Tseng, Barret; get them up."

When no one was moving quick enough, Vincent walked over to Zack and helped him up. "On your feet, Zack."

Vincent turned and saw Cloud, who was wandering away. "Cloud!"

Cloud came to a stop and slowly turned around, his face still lowered to the ground as a single tear ran down his face.

The party left, and made their way to Lothlorien.

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own the Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children.


	17. Lothlorien

**A/N: Here is one of those short chapters I promised. Shortest one yet, I think. **

* * *

**17.) Lothlorien **

After traveling for some time, the fellowship reached the woods of Lothlorien, and entered it.

The forest was lush and green, and birds sang joyously around them as if welcoming them.

"Stay close! They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods. An Elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell," Reeve said with a slow grin, "and are never seen again."

Reno's eyes got wide, and Zack patted him firmly on the back, assuring him that Reeve was only joking; or so he thought.

Cloud gasped in fright as he heard a women's voice in his head calling his name.

_"Your coming to us is as the footsteps of doom... You bring great evil here, Ring-bearer," _the voice said.

Cloud's form trembled slightly as he registered what was happening.

"Cloud?" Zack put a hand on Cloud's shoulder, his brows etched in worry as Cloud's face turned white as snow.

"Well, here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!" Barret bragged.

But, apparently, Barret's boast was untrue, for he didn't notice the group of elves coming out of the woods, covering the company with arrows.

"Oh..." Barret said, his mouth forming a small 'o'.

"The Dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark," One elf joked.

At that, the rest of the elves began laughing loudly.

Barret winced, and hunched his shoulders slightly.

"Henio aníron, boe ammen i dulu lîn. Boe ammen veriad lîn," Vincent said.

Barret squinted in confusion, having no idea what Vincent had just said, but hoping it wasn't another joke about him.

In truth, Vincent had just said '_We come here for help. We need your protection.' _

"Vincent! These woods are perilous. We should go back," Barret suggested to Vincent.

"You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood. You cannot go back. Come. She is waiting," said the head elf, the one who had made the joke about Barret.

"Hmph," muttered Barret, crossing his arms as he reluctantly followed the rest of the group.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children


	18. The Mirror of Galadriel

**A/N: Introducing a few new minor characters. Most of them go away after this chapter anyways though. :( **

* * *

**18.) The Mirror of Galadriel **

The fellowship continued on, led by the head elf, who introduced himself as Genesis.

"Eight that there are here, yet nine there were set out from Wutai. Tell me, where is Highwind, for I mush desire to speak with him," A beautiful elf woman, by the name of Iflana said.

"He has fallen into Shadow," Aeris, the other beautiful elf woman answered as she looked at Vincent. "The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail to the ruin of all."

Aeris then turned her head towards Reeve, who looked very uncomfortable under her gaze.

"Yet home remains while the Company is true," Aeris went on as she looked from Reeve to the hobbit Zack, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight, you will sleep in peace..."

Cloud shivered as the elf woman, Aeris, finally turned her gaze to him. Her bright emerald green eyes seemed to get wider as her voice entered his mind once more.

"_Welcome, Cloud of the Shire, one who has seen the mother!" _

* * *

"A lament for Highwind," Tseng informed Reno and Rude as they watched an assembly of elves chanting around a fountain.

"What do they say about him?" Reno asked with a curious expression upon his face.

"I have not the heart to tell you. For me the grief is still too near," Tseng answered sadly.

"Take some rest," Vincent said, his words directed at a weary looking Reeve. "These borders are well protected."

"I will find no rest here," Reeve sighed, shaking his weary head. "I hear her voice inside my head. She spoke of my father and the fall of Nibelheim. She said to me, 'Even now there is hope left.' But I cannot see it. It is long since we had any hope."

Vincent pitied the weary man, and went to sit beside him gracefully.

"My father is a noble man, but his rule is failing," Reeve went on sadly, "and then our... our people lose faith. He looks to me to make things right, and I, I would do it. I would see the glory of Nibelheim restored. Have you ever seen it, Vincent? The white tower of Nibelheim; glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver. Its banners caught high in the morning breeze. Have you ever been called home by the clear ringing of silver trumpets?"

"I have seen the White City," Vincent answered with a slow nod as he gazed out at the star-lit sky, "long ago."

"One day, our paths will lead us there," Reeve said with a small smile as he slung one arm over Vincent's shoulders, "and the tower guard shall take up the call: 'The Lords of Nibelheim have returned!'"

* * *

Cloud walked around in the dark, and spotted her-the elf woman, Aeris. She was walking slowly to an unknown destination, her white dress sparkling in the moonlight. Cloud was intrigued to follow her.

She led him to a stone table, on which lye a round tray. The women made her way elegantly to a fountain, and filled a jug with water.

"Will you look into the mirror?" The woman asked as she filled the jug, her gaze not on Cloud.

"What will I see?" Cloud asked.

"Even the wisest cannot tell. For the mirror shows many things," Aeris said as she slowly emptied the jug into the tray-which she referred to as a mirror.

Cloud was entranced by the way the clear glimmering water poured into the tray, with barely a sound.

"Things that were, things that are, and some things that have not yet come to pass," Aeris said quietly as she emptied the last of the water into the tray.

Cloud hesitantly moved towards the mirror, and looked in.

He saw Tseng's back, and then Zack and Reno. They all appeared to be sad and grave.

Then, he saw the Shire. It is filled with flame, and with Orcs, burning down the village.

Cloud gasped as the scene changed again, this time showing Zack with his ankles chained on a line with many other Hobbits, who were then whipped by orcs.

The scenes that he saw were horrible, but the last was the worst.

He saw Jenova. She was floating in a clear tube filled with some sort of green liquid. He seemed lost in looking at her, and studying the way her silvery locks floated in the fluid. She seemed to be unconscious or something, because there was no movement that was done voluntarily-until she looked at him.

The rest of her body was still, though her eyes slowly opened and looked straight at him. Her eyes were a ghastly greenish yellow color, and her pupils were drawn to slits. The evil in those eyes radiated off her picture. But there was also so much more in those eyes, and Cloud was inquisitive about what else those haunting orbs could tell. He was pulled in by her gaze, and fully entranced by her.

Before he knew it, he was slipping towards the mirror.

Panicking, he pulled himself backwards, falling to the ground in the process.

The water in the mirror was steaming.

"I know that it was that you saw. For it is also in my mind," Aeris said, walking towards him.

Then, her voice came into his head again, speaking further to him.

"_It is what will come to pass if you should fail. The Fellowship is breaking. It has already begun. She will try to take the Ring. You know of whom I speak. One by one it will destroy them all." _

"If you ask it of me, I will give you the One Ring," Cloud said, picking himself up and holding the ring out to her.

Aeris's calm expression changed suddenly, and she walked towards Cloud.

"You offer it to me freely. I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired this," she said, a slow smile coming to her face.

Her hand slowly lifted from her side, and opened, outstretched towards the Ring.

"In the place of a Dark Lord, you would have a QUEEN!" Aeris shouted, her calm emerald green eyes blazing a bright red color.

Not only did her eyes change, but her white gown darkened to a midnight black color to match the sky as wind blew up around her. The pink ribbon in her hair was caught in the wind, leaving her hair to blow freely as it pleased, soon whipping in the wind.

Cloud backed up unintentionally, intimidated by the great changes in the elf woman.

"NOT DARK, BUT BEAUTIFUL AND TERRIBLE AS THE DAWN! TREACHEROUS AS THE SEA! STRONGER THAN THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH! ALL SHALL LOVE ME AND DESPAIR," Aeris screamed over the wind, eyes blazing with a fire behind them.

The wind gradually calmed down, and Aeris's dress lightened to its former white color. Her eyes fluttered, and when she opened them, they had returned to their previous emerald green color. She was breathing heavily, as if trying to catch her breath.

"I pass the test. I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Aeris Gainsborough," the elf women stated with a shallow smile.

"I cannot do this alone," Cloud protested.

"You are a Ring-bearer, Cloud. To bear a Ring of Power is to be alone. This task was appointed to you. And if you do not find a way, no one will."

"Then I know what I must do. It's just, I'm afraid to do it," Cloud said, lowering his gaze to his feet, suddenly feeling sorely depressed.

Aeris bent down to his level, and held his chin in her cool hands.

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future," Aeris said with a warm smile.

Cloud nodded, and closed his hand over the Ring.

* * *

"Do you know how the Orcs first came into being?" Sephiroth asked a large orc as he circled the dangerous creature. "They were Elves once. Taken by the Dark Powers, tortured, and mutilated. A ruined, and terrible form of life. And now, perfected. My fighting Uruk-hai. Whom do you serve?"

"Sephiroth," the orc, Lurtz, answered promptly, life blazing behind his black, bottomless eyes.

* * *

"Hunt them down!" Sephiroth ordered to the orcs and uruk-hai in the caverns of Grim, putting on armor, and taking weapons. "Do not stop until they are found. You do not know pain, you do not know fear. You will taste man flesh!"

Sephiroth's thin lips parted into a wicked grin as he looked over the scene before him.

Turning to Lurtz, he said, "One of the Halflings carries something of great value. Bring them to me alive and unspoilt. Kill the others."

Lurtz grunted in approval, and the army of orcs and uruk-hai left the caverns, off to complete their task.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children


	19. Farewell to Lorien

****

A/N: Whew Glad I finished that. Three more chapters, and this story is done. Can you believe it? Eh, nevermind, it's believable I suppose. This was supposed to be one of my really short chapters, but it turned out a little longer than I thought it would, I guess... I don't know.

* * *

**19.) Farewell to Lorien**

The fellowship didn't spend many days in Lorien, and the few days that they spent there consisted of a lot of mourning for Cid Highwind and occasional ceremonies.

But in the in-between time, they found some time to amuse themselves.

* * *

Reno and Rude spent their time fooling around, and having as much fun as possible before they had to leave.

The elf girls there were all gorgeous, and Reno had to take advantage of that by flirting with each one that he saw. Most of them were very polite and attempted to make small talk with him in a dignified manner, but his way of speaking made the situation more difficult for them.

As a result, many of them politely excused themselves from his presence by making up clever excuses, but a few of them were more outgoing. Some of those few would fall into his less dignified manner of speaking, while others would just walk away without any sort of polite excuse.

Reno liked the ones who talked to him.

With a sigh, Reno wished that more of the girls in Lothlorien were more like Yuffie.

Yuffie wasn't like most other elves-no, she was outgoing, loud, funny, and very boisterous.

Not at all like the elf girls in Lothlorien.

* * *

Rude, on the other hand, found the elf girls in Lothlorien better than the elf girls from Wutai. Instead of chatty and energetic, they were more calm and graceful to him.

Rude was, by far, the more romantic between him and Reno. It wasn't even a question in most cases. He liked the girls in Lothlorien because they actually appreciated his romantics, unlike the others.

Rude only turned away and shook his head when Reno tried to mimic his romantic pick-up lines with flowers and getting down on one knee. It didn't work very well, though a select few of the girls thought that it was cute.

* * *

Barret found the ceremonies extremely boring. The people were all so soft-spoken and serious, and the way that they spoke, even if it was in English, was very difficult to comprehend.

The ceremonies were long and drawn out, not to mention that they were speaking in Elvish during all of their long speeches. Barret didn't mind that so much, however. He figured he wouldn't have been appreciating it any more if it were in English, and the fact that he still wouldn't be able to understand them was only half of the problem.

They were also just so _boring. _

The whole time he watched the elves march around, doing chants and whatnot, he wished in the back of his mind that something would blow up or something, just to get him out of this mind-numbing haze that he was in.

He blinked twice, trying to stay awake as he watched the performance beside Tseng.

* * *

Tseng was looking straight at the performance with seldom blinking eyes, though something told Barret that he was just as uninterested as he was.

Tseng understood what the elves were saying, but he also thought that they were making it too long. No wonder these people weren't crying-they were too busy trying to stay awake.

Holding back a yawn, Tseng sighed as another chant began, and refrained from shutting his weary eyes to doze off, even if only for a moment.

* * *

Reeve had wandered off in the middle of one of the mourning ceremonies, and went off into the woods to find something more interesting to do.

As much as he grieved for Cid, he doubted that listening to some Elvish chants were going to make anything better. The only thing he saw that those chants were capable of was putting someone to sleep.

He figured that elves in Lothlorien must have learnt a lot of patience.

As he kicked some leaves aside, he paused, feeling a presence around him.

Looking up, he saw he was indeed surrounded by a number of elves, bows trained on him.

Grumbling, he also figured that elves in Lothlorien must have learnt a lot of tracking skills.

* * *

Vincent watched the ceremonies with unfeasible stillness, his golden eyes fixated on the chanting elves with an unknown expression.

He was listening to what the elves were saying, like few others in the crowd, and was actually reflecting on their words.

They sounded very depressed, and he found himself soon becoming also depressed. He wasn't sure if that was their objective, but whatever was making him feel miserable was doing a fine job of it.

* * *

Zack stood next to Cloud, and looked over at him, wondering how his friend could just stand there and watch the ceremony like that.

Zack wanted to fall asleep or something, but he wouldn't dare say that to Cloud; he knew how much Cid had meant to Cloud, and was determined not to fall asleep during one of Cid's mourning ceremonies.

* * *

When it finally ended, most of the fellowship was glad.

"Farewell, Cloud Strife. I give you the light of Earendil, our most beloved star. Farewell," Aeris said, before bending over and placing a gentle kiss on the top of Cloud's head.

Cloud thanked her and turned around, walking back with the rest of the group towards the boats.

He turned and gave her one last look, seeing her still standing on the shore. The sun shined from behind her, making her white gown glitter across the river as it swayed lightly as the wind drifted across the shore.

Cloud was still looking at her when he heard her voice in his head one last time.

_"May it be a light for you in dark places, when all other lights go out."_

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children


	20. The Great River

****

A/N: Here's another one of those short chapters.

* * *

**20. The Great River**

A great army of orcs ran through the forest towards the fellowship, like tigers advancing on their prey.

Vincent and Tseng turned in chorus at the sound of the cries of the orcs.

"Orcs!" Tseng hissed, tensing his hands on the ores of the boat.

After rowing for some time, the group came to two tall statues, one on their side of the river.

As the boat rowed past them, Vincent sighed.

"The Valentinian. Long have I desired to look upon the Kings of old," Vincent whispered to Cloud as he rowed steadily, staring up at the white stone faces of the past Kings of Nibelheim.

"My Kin," Vincent said the last part bitterly, pursing his lips in sudden distaste.

As he turned back to the water, his mind wandered off of their task of destroying the Ring, fleeing the orcs, and defeating Sephiroth. Instead, the things he reflected on ranged from his love for Yuffie to how, if ever, he would reclaim his position at the throne of Nibelheim.

He didn't see any way that he could do that now, after what his father, Grimoire had done. He thought about how it had been his own father's selfishness that brought about the fate of the planet.

How could he simply walk back to that throne with that kind of regret?

Or rather, the regret of his father... but what was the difference?

After all, he was his father's kin.

Even if Yuffie knew that he wasn't like his father, who was to say that the rest of Nibelheim would? What if they only saw him for what his father was, like so many others that he came to know?

No, he couldn't go back there. There was no way.

* * *

_"You are just like him, Vincent; you and your selfish, pitiful ways. How dare you try to take the throne? You may deserve the throne by right of birth, but you haven't done anything of value to be worthy of it. How can you _possibly_ justify this contemptible unworthiness? _

_"You, who stay here day by day and watch everything as it goes by as if it has no matter to your eyes. What kind of King is that? Well, _I'll_ tell you what kind, Vincent Valentine. _

_"It's the kind that we don't need. That, my reviled foe, is just the kind of King that we don't need lurking around the palace walls, bringing only despair to Nibelheim. _

_"You can do nothing of value here, Vincent. I only have one proposition to make to you. _

_"Leave. Turn around, leave Nibelheim, and never, _ever_, return," Scarlet said the last part with a bitter sadness. _

_Then she turned around with a pained expression on her face, and left Vincent alone in the throne room. _

_Vincent looked around the room, at the pictures of the past kings of Nibelheim, the banners and the statues, and then, finally, at the throne. _

_It looked different then. _

_It didn't look nearly as intimidating. _

_In fact, he loathed it. There wasn't anything he hated more at that moment than his father, and the task he had left him. _

_So he decided to take Scarlet's advice. _

_He turned, and he left._

_

* * *

_

Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children


	21. The Breaking of the Fellowship

**A/N: Well, I'm nearing the end of the story... I'm realizing now that I actually didn't put in a lot of characters that I meant to in the beginning (ex. Tifa) and they just aren't going to show up. In this story, at least. Sorry! **

* * *

**21.) The Breaking of the Fellowship**

After some time, the fellowship stopped rowing and rested on the western shore of the river.

"We cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats, and continue on foot. We approach Midgar from the north," Vincent informed the group.

"Oh, yes?" Barret asked, raising an eyebrow. "Just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil?" The dwarf's tone was thick with sarcasm as he spoke lightly to the Ranger. "An impassable labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks? And after that, it gets even better! Festering, stinking marshlands, as far as the eye can see!"

"This is our road," Vincent told the dwarf, turning to face him fully. "I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf."

"Recover my..." Barret repeated, beginning his speech in his same previous sarcastic tone. Once it finally hit him what Vincent was suggesting, he scoffed and turned away. "Phfwahh..."

Tseng, who had been pacing, turned to look at Vincent impatiently.

"We should leave now," the elf said, tapping his foot and resting his hands on his hips, long hair hanging over his shoulder in a slightly edgy, feminine manner.

"No. Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for the cover of darkness," Vincent said, shaking his head as he looked off to the east.

"It is not the eastern shore that worries me," Tseng argued, the edgy tone returning to his voice, "A shadow and a threat have been growing in my mind. Something draws near. I can feel it.

"Recover strength," Barret was still muttering.

Then Barret turned, and saw that Reno was looking at him in confusion.

"Pay no heed to that, young Hobbit," Barret said to Reno, turning so that his back faced Reno, who would then not see him pouting.

Rude, meanwhile, was looking around for Cloud, but could not see him anywhere.

"Where's Cloud?" He asked.

Vincent turned, and noticed that it was not only Cloud that was missing from their party, but Reeve as well.

* * *

Cloud was wandering off all by his lonesome, thinking about the troubles with the Ring he carried, and about how much he missed the Shire.

Suddenly, he heard a twig break and whipped around, expecting to see something bad.

But it was only Reeve, who had been collecting firewood.

"None of us should wander alone," Reeve reprimanded, looking at Cloud with a sorry expression, "you least of all. So much depends on you. Cloud?" Reeve asked, advancing on Cloud with the firewood in arms.

He stopped a couple of feed in front of the Hobbit, and didn't say anything for a while. Then he sighed, and looked sadly at Cloud.

"I know why you seek solitude. You suffer. I see it day by day. Are you sure you do not suffer needlessly? There are other ways, Cloud. Other paths that we might take," Reeve said, a slow encouraging smile coming to his lips, yet his eyes remained sympathetic.

"I know what you would say, and it would seem like wisdom, but for the warning in my heart," Cloud said.

He knew that Reeve meant well and all, but he couldn't fall to the man's words. He knew deep down that there was only one option out there for him, and that was to carry the Ring to Mount Doom and cast it into its boiling depths.

"Warning? Against what?" Reeve asked, smiling wider now as he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

He began to advance further on Cloud, who started to back away.

"We're all afraid; Cloud, but to let that fear drive us to destroy what hope we have..." Reeve trailed off, a wicked gleam beginning to burn behind his eyes. "Don't you see its madness?"

"There is no other way," Cloud said, angry that his voice was starting to break as he kept retreating away from Reeve.

"I ask only for the strength to defend my people!" Reeve shouted angrily as he stopped walking towards Cloud abruptly, throwing the firewood that he had collected to the ground in frustration.

Reeve stared down at the firewood that he had thrown for a moment, breathing heavily before catching his breath.

Once he had, he turned back to Cloud and looked at him straight in the eye.

"If you would but lend me the Ring..." Reeve said quietly, a desperate plea in his eyes.

"No!" Cloud yelled, backing away.

"Why do you recoil?" Reeve asked, his desperate eyes widening in puzzlement. "I am no thief!"

"You are not yourself!" Cloud said, shaking his head and trying to keep his voice steady as fear bubbled up in his stomach.

"What chance do you think you have?" Reeve asked, his expression changing again.

This time, his head was thrown further back as he stared down at Cloud with a look of calm triumph in his eyes and a subtle smirk upon his lips. "They will find you," Reeve went on. "They will take the Ring; and you will bed for death before the end!"

Reeve shouted the last part, spit flying from his mouth as his eyes went back to their angry mode. Then his eyes brightened again, and he threw his head back and began laughing.

Cloud, shaking his head in bewilderment, turned and walked away from the perplex scene.

"You fool! It is not yours save by unhappy chance!" Reeve shouted after him in a maniacal voice, a snarl erupting from his throat.

Reeve walked towards Cloud, taking long strides to keep up with the Hobbit.

Cloud in turn quickened his pace to a run.

"It could have been mine! It _should _have been mine!" Reeve growled; his face almost red with anger.

Unable to take it anymore, Reeve lunged towards the fleeing Cloud, tackling him to the ground.

"Give it to me!" Reeve demanded harshly. "Give me the Ring!"

"No!" Cloud said, squirming to get out of Reeve's grasps.

But Reeve was too crazed to suffice to Cloud's request, so he stuck the Ring onto his finger and disappeared, confusing the swordsman long enough to wriggle out from underneath him. He began kicking leaves at the man still on the ground, angry at him for trying to take the Ring.

"I see your mind!! You will take the Ring to Hojo! You will betray us! You go to your death! And the death of us all! Curse you! Curse you and all the Halflings!" Reeve screamed, his face now bright red with a mix of anger, craze, frustration, and self-pity.

But then his anger phase passed, leaving him in the sympathetic one.

"Cloud? Cloud. What have I done? Please, Cloud..."

Cloud stopped in his tracks. He wanted to walk away from Reeve, but he was so confused. Reeve was being cruel one minute, then kind the next.

He didn't understand.

_"Cloud, I'm sorry! Cloud!" _Reeve's anxious pleas rang in his head, but he couldn't pay much attention to them as they drowned out, being replaced by another vision of Jenova, like the one in the mirror...

Panicking once again, Cloud gasped and detached the Ring viciously from his finger.

As he was busy catching his breath, Cloud saw Vincent, standing motionlessly in front of him.

* * *

"Cloud?" Vincent asked; a hint of concern in his voice.

"It has taken Reeve," Cloud choked out, referring to the madness of the Ring.

"Where is the Ring?" Vincent asked; his voice still calm as always.

"Stay away!" Cloud barked, backing away.

He had experienced too much of the greed of men for one day.

"Cloud!" Vincent exclaimed, appalled, "I swore to protect you!"

"Can you protect me from yourself?!" Cloud screamed, thrusting the Ring he held in front of the gunman's face, angry apparent in his eyes.

Vincent calmly looked down at the Ring.

"Would you destroy it?" Cloud challenged, extending his arm as though offering the Ring to Vincent.

Vincent's mind raked through painful memories.

_You are just like him, Vincent; you and your selfish, pitiful ways... _

Vincent clenched his teeth, shutting his eyes. No; he would not be just like his father.

But he would not be like Reeve, either. He would not try to take the Ring for his own.

I would have gone with you to the end. Into the very fires of Midgar," Vincent pledged, kneeling beside Cloud and closing the Hobbit's hand over the Ring.

"I know," Cloud sighed, mako blue eyes looking sadly into deep golden ones. "Look after the others. Especially Zack; he will not understand."

Suddenly, Vincent heard the familiar orc horn.

"Go, Cloud. Run. Run!"

The orcs came in large numbers, and Vincent came out and faced them, taking his Ceberus out and preparing to fight.

"Cloud!" Zack exclaimed, seeing his friend running.

"Find the Halfling! Find the Halfling!" The Uruk-hai commanded.

Tseng and Barret soon showed up to help Vincent fight the orcs.

Cloud shut his eyes as he leaned back against a tree, breathing heavily from having run so far.

Reno and Rude were hiding as well, but further off and in a safer place than behind a tree.

"Cloud! Hide here, quick!" Reno shouted to Cloud, indicating his hiding place. "Come on!"

Cloud shook his head quickly.

"What's he doing?" Reno asked Rude, confused.

Cloud shook his head once more, confirming his response.

"He's leaving," Rude said, just as surprised as Reno.

"NO!" Reno exclaimed, jumping out of his hiding place.

"Reno!" Rude shouted after him.

But Reno wasn't turning around, so Rude stepped out of the hiding place also, following Reno.

However, orcs were seen coming, and they did not have much time.

So instead of trying to prevent Cloud from running, Rude changed his mind with a short shake of his head.

"Run, Cloud. Go on!" Rude shouted.

Then, turning towards the Orc army, Rude stepped out in clear view and directed his gaze at them.

"Hey, hey you! Over here!" Rude called, pointing to himself with a cool flick of his wrist.

"Over here! Over here! This way!" Reno yelled, sensing Rude's plan and waving his arms over his head.

Reno grinned as the Orc army approached them.

"It's working!" Reno said, turning to Rude with a smile.

"I know its working!" Rude replied. "RUN!"

* * *

Tseng whipped arrow after arrow from his quiver, shooting at orcs in the distance.

Reno and Rude continued to flee from the Orcs that they lave led towards them, but soon, Rude nudged Reno, as an equally large group of Orcs approached, surrounding the two unfortunate hobbits.

As one Orc swung an ax at reno, Reeve appeared, stopping the ax with his sword.

Reeve twisted and turned skillfully, attacking and killing many Orcs as he did so.

Meanwhile, Tseng's head jerked at the sound of Reeve's horn.

"The horn of Nibelheim!" Tseng gasped, running towards the area where the sound had come from. "Reeve!"

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Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children.


	22. The Departure of Reeve

**A/N: Here it is! The last chapter. As for continuing onto 'The two Towers', I'm not sure yet. Maybe if I ever feel like it, but I was kind of wanting to get onto different things and such... Anyways, enjoy! **

**Oh, and thanks to dragonriderVII for pointing out a mistake in the last chapter. Always appreciated! :) **

**Warnings: Character Death (unless it's not obvious by the title, I won't say who.)  
**

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**22.) The Departure of Reeve **

"Run! Run!" Reeve shouted to Rude and Reno as he fought off the many orcs single-handedly.

Reno and Rude ran, but only for a moment before stopping and turning around to make sure that Reeve would be alright.

He was not.

Reno cried out as an orc shot Reeve in the chest.

Reeve continued to fight off the orcs bravely, but even Reno knew that he wouldn't be able to hold it out much longer with an arrow sticking out of his chest.

Indeed, he was shot two more times before falling to his knees, body finally falling victim to his severe wounds.

Reno and Rude tried to fight off the orcs, but were taken away.

Lurtz, the Uruk-hai, was about to shoot Reeve in the head to finish off when Vincent appeared out of absolutely nowhere to fend off the orc.

Vincent stood like a king in front of Reeve, guarding him as he took out his Ceberus and took careful aim at the orc who had tried to finish off Reeve. In one swift movement, he raised his gun to the level of his eyes, and shot.

The bullet lodged itself between the orc's eyes, causing him to fall over dead without so much as a sound.

Once the orc fell dead, Vincent turned and knelt gracefully next to Reeve.

"No," Vincent whispered, watching Reeve's face turn to a ghostly white.

"They took the little ones," Reeve breathed, saving his last breath for selfless words.

"Stay still," Vincent cautioned, setting a hand firmly on the dying man's shoulder.

"Cloud," Reeve said softly, his voice soon to come to an end, "where is Cloud?"

"I let Cloud go," Vincent told him, lowering his gaze to the ground.

"Then you did what I could not," Reeve said, sadness and regret filling his voice. "I tried to take the Ring from him."

"The Ring is beyond our reach now," Vincent said, trying to calm Reeve.

Reeve's eyes slowly closed, and he let out a pitiful sigh.

"Forgive me. I did not see it. I have failed you all," Reeve whispered under his breath.

"No, Reeve," Vincent said, shaking his head, "You fought bravely. You have kept your honor."

Vincent's eyes drifted away from Reeve's alabaster face to the arrows embedded in his chest. Placing a firm grip on one of the arrows, Vincent prepared to remove it.

"Leave it!" Reeve hissed. "It is over. The world of Men will fall, and all will come to darkness," Reeve took a deep shuddering breath before trying to speak further. "My city to ruin."

"I do not know what strength is in my blood. But I swear to you, I will not let the White City fall. Nor our people fail." Vincent pledged, bracing Reeve's shoulder in a firm grip as he looked straight into his eyes.

"Our people," Reeve whispered; his voice filled with grief. "Our people..."

Vincent took Reeve's bloodied sword from off of the ground, and placed it in Reeve's cold grip.

Tseng and Barret appeared behind Vincent, leaning over Reeve.

"I would have followed you, my brother," Reeve said, his voice now barely hearable. "My captain..." Reeve's eyes rose to Vincent's eyes and he finished with one final phrase:

"My _king..." _

With that, he shut his eyes and went limp in Vincent's arms, dead.

Vincent shut his eyes momentarily, absorbing the fact that Reeve was indeed dead.

"Be at peace, son of Nibelheim," Vincent whispered, leaning in to embrace the man once more.

"Cloud!" Zack shouted, running to Cloud.

He had been looking for Cloud, and had finally found him standing by the boats.

Zack stopped just behind Cloud to catch his breath, setting his hands on his knees and breathing heavily.

He then turned to Cloud, to see that Cloud was holding the Ring on the palm of his hand, looking at it with a sort of misery on his face.

_"I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened," Cloud murmured. _

_"That's what everyone wants," Cid sighed._

Cloud closed his hand over the ring, and set out in one of the boats.

Zack, realizing what his friend was attempting to do, ran to the shore.

"Cloud, no! Cloud! CLOUD!" Zack shouted.

Without hesitation, Zack jumped into the water, chasing after Cloud.

"No, Zack," Cloud said softly, mostly to himself.

He hadn't even turned to _look _at Zack.

"Go back, Zack. I'm going to Midgar alone," Cloud told his friend.

But Zack persisted, wading deeper into the water.

"Of course you are!" Zack exclaimed, though his face was not happy. He was still upset about Cloud trying to leave without him. "And I'm coming with you!"

Cloud looked over at his friend, and furrowed his eyebrows as he watched his friend following him through the water as it got deeper. Then a thought hit him: Zack could not swim.

Panicking, Cloud shook his head.

"You can't swim," the blonde said. Then, louder, he shouted "Zack!"

Just at that moment, Zack's head plunged underwater.

"ZACK!" Cloud screamed, rushing to the edge of the boat to help his friend.

Zack, underwater, reached towards a ray of light coming from above the water's surface. But he couldn't reach it, and soon went limp, sinking slowly with his right hand weakly reaching upwards.

Then, Cloud's strong hand reached underwater, finding Zack's wrist; Zack found one last grain of strength in him to tighten his hand around Cloud's.

With much difficulty, Cloud helped a spluttering and coughing Zack into the boat.

In unison, the pair both turned their heads towards each other.

"I made a promise, Cloud," Zack gasped while recovering his breath, "A promise: _'Don't you -- lose him, Zack.'_ And I don't mean to."

Zack smiled, and reached out to grab a hold of Cloud's arm, bracing it tightly.

"I don't mean to," Zack repeated with a grin.

"Oh, Zack," Cloud said, tears filling his eyes.

He had tried to leave without Zack, but now he found it impossible. Zack was much too loyal a friend to ever even think about leaving behind.

With that, the two friends embraced each other, holding on tightly before some time, before Cloud sat back, though still with a tight grip on Zack's forearms.

"Come on, then," Cloud said with a wry smile, nudging his head in the direction of the great river that seemed to have no end.

Oars in hand, they rowed off together, eastward across the Great River.

Reeve's body was placed in one of the Elven boats, at sea. The dead man's hands were clasped lifelessly around his sword.

Vincent tried on Reeve's gauntlets while staring off into the distance as Reeve's funeral boat was taken to the falls and swept over the side.

Meanwhile, Barret stood alone by the shore, as Tseng rushed out, hurriedly pushing one of the boats into the water.

"Hurry! Cloud and Zack have reached the eastern shore!" Tseng yelled.

Tseng paused as the other two made no move.

Grief-stricken, Vincent looked down; then, across the river, where Cloud and Zack could be seen rushing off into the bushes.

He sighed.

"You... mean not to follow them," Tseng said, observing Vincent's gaze.

"Cloud's fate is no longer in our hands," Vincent stated.

"Then it has all been in vain. The fellowship has failed," Barret said, crossing his arms angrily.

Vincent shook his head and walked over to Tseng and Barret, still looking off into the distance.

"Not if we hold true to each other," Vincent said, though turning his gaze to neither of the two.

Barret's grimace turned into a grin as he nodded fiercely, placing his and on top of Vincent's.

"We will not abandon Reno and Rude to torment and death. Not while we have strength left. Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light." Vincent said, sounding a little flustered. Then, finally turning towards Tseng and Barret, a rare smirk crossed his face as his golden eyes brightened with malice.

"Let's hunt some Orc," Vincent whispered, his smirk widening slightly.

"YEAH!" Barret agreed, thrusting a fist into the air.

And so they did.

Zack and Cloud looked over to Midgar, taking in the great importance of the task ahead of them.

"Midgar," Cloud breathed; his voice a mixture of hope and despair. "I hope the others find a safer road."

"Dracula will look after them," Zack said in an assured voice.

"I don't suppose we'll ever see them again," Cloud said, his voice neither sad nor joyous.

"We may yet, Cloud. We May," Zack said, swinging an arm over Cloud's shoulders and throwing his friend a promising smile.

"Zack..." Cloud said, looking his friend over. Finally, he shook his head and grinned. "I'm glad you're with me."

THE END.

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Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings or Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children.

**Hasta la vista my beloved reviewers!**


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